The Last Sabi
by Kali ma1
Summary: In the era of mwpp, a lost race with be discovered and the consequences will effect all.
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: What J.K.Rowling owns, I do not.

Chapter one

Escape into Hogwarts

Summery: Set in the days of MWPP, a new student arrives. 

======================================================

"Are they all dead?"   
  
"Yes, All but one."  
  
"Were is she? I want her brought to me now!"  
  
"Her mother hid her before we could get to her."  
  
"Were is the mother now?"  
  
"She killed herself with the others."  
  
"How old is she?"  
  
"The mother?"  
  
"No you fool, the Sabi!"  
  
"She is only an infant."  
  
"Find her. I don't care how long it takes. I. Want. Her."  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
  
Fifteen years later.  
  
  
  
I was the first to arrive at platform nine and three quarters. I suppose it was because I was two hours early. Perhaps I was a bit too eager to get away from Celia. I thanked my lucky stars yet again that Celia wasn't coming to Hogwarts. Though I still didn't understand why I was coming to Hogworts. I was all set to start my 5th year at Ombigono in Australia when Aunt Kath told me I was being shipped half way around the globe to Hogwarts. She wouldn't even give me a reason. I shrugged and settled down, wondering if the Hogwarts students would be any different from those in Australia.  
  
  
The platform slowly started to fill up with old and new Hogwarts pupils. As I listened to them chatter away excitedly I began to feel nervous. I almost wished Celia was there, she was better at talking to new people than me. Pull yourself together Lia, I scolded myself. I got up and made my way towards the train.  


"Can I sit here?" 

I looked up, my previously empty compartment wasn't empty anymore. I nodded, not wanting to give away the fact that I wasn't from England with my accent right away. The red head smiled and sat down. 

"Are you new?" She asked me. 

__

You're going to have to speak sometime, I told myself. "Yeah. I'm going to be starting 5th year. How about you?" 

She smiled again, "same. You're not from England are you?" 

I shook my head, "no, Australia." 

"Really? Cool." 

I grinned, "I'm Lia Strumming's." 

She smiled yet again. I wondered if she ever stopped. "Lily Evans."   
  
  
Lily spent the rest of the ride telling me everything she knew about Hogwarts, which turned out to be a lot. By the time the train slowed to a stop I felt very well educated indeed. We started to search for a horseless carriage that had enough room left in it for us. 

"Can we join you?" Lily asked the occupants of a carriage towards the end. 

"Of course Lady Lily. But surely our humble carriage is much to improper for your fine taste?" Came a joking voice.

"Shut up Sirius," Lily rolled her eyes at me and started to climb in, I followed suit. Inside the carriage were four boys. 

Lily told me their names, pointing to each one in turn. "That's Sirius, that's Peter, there's James and that's Remus. Guys this is Lia. She's from Australia." 

We said our hello's. 

"Australia hey," said Remus, "that's pretty far away, why did you come here to England?" 

I shrugged, "I think my cousin Celia bugged my Aunt to send me as far away as possible." 

Peter looked interested, "do you live with you Aunt?" 

I nodded, "yeah. My mum died when I was younger and my dad left before I was born." 

Sirius grinned, actually it was more like a smirk, "are you thinking what I'm thinking Prongs?" 

James nodded, "I think I am Padfoot. How 'bout you Moony, you thinking what we're thinking?" 

I looked at Lily, confused, she just shrugged. 

"I do believe I am Prongs. Are you thinking what were thinking Wormtail?" 

Peter nodded, "that I am Moony." 

They paused, then, "what are we thinking Moony?" 

Remus shrugged, "I haven't the foggiest Wormtail. Do you know what we're thinking Prongs?" 

James shook his head, "no idea. Do you know what we're thinking Padfoot?" 

Sirius nodded. 

Lily shook her head and whispered, "they're just showing off." 

Sirius appeared to not have heard her. "Why yes I do know what we are thinking." He said, "we're thinking how lucky we are to have new blood to play with." 

The boys all nodded, "that's what I thought we were thinking." James said. 

I couldn't help but laugh at their charade even I was the 'new blood.' 

Lily rolled her eyes, "if you boys are quite finished," she said, although she could help smiling. "I think we're there." 

I looked eagerly out the window. 

So this was Hogwarts

Chapter two

Kangaroo Sandwhiches

Summery: Lia gets sorted, the gang discuss gourmet food and Lia gets introduced to English weather.

======================================================

Once we reached Hogwarts I had to wait with the first years to be sorted. It turned out I wasn't the only 5th year starting that year. Another girl, Rachel Sloan, was new as well. 

  
"What house do you want to get sorted into?" She asked me.   
  
"Griffindor." I replied instantly. That was the house Lily and the guys were in.   
  
"How about you?" She shrugged, "I'm not really fussed. Though I don't think I'd like Hufflepuff very much."   
  
Before I could answer Professor McGonagal Called us and the first years into the great hall. I tried not to gawk too much at the enchanted ceiling. After all, I was supposed to be more grown up than the first years who were pointing and staring. Once the sorting started the nervousness I felt at the station started to come back to me. What if I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? It wasn't like I was dependent on Lily, but it seemed unfair to have to make two sets of friends in one day. Rachel was called up to the hat before I was. It was a good few minutes before the hat squawked, RAVENCLAW! I relaxed slightly, Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. I could handle Ravenclaw.   
  
"Strummings, Lia." Professor McGonagal called. I sat down on the stool on lowered the hat over my eyes.  
  
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Very interesting indeed. Most defiantly not a Hufflepuff. Far to much pride for that. Slytherian? You could fit in nicely, but no, I don't think so. Griffindor? Or Ravenclaw? You have the brains to be a Ravenclaw. But I think it'll have to be... Yes, it is. GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Trying not to grin to hard I made my way towards the Gryffindor table. I sat next to Lily, who was positively beaming. "I knew you were a Gryffindor!" She said happily.   
  
Sirius snorted, "well then," he said "Batista had better watch her back, you could be the next divination teacher Lils."   
  
Remus smiled, "professor Steven's. Nah, doesn't have that misty ring to it."   
  
The sorting finished with Wheeler, Jamie becoming the newest Hufflepuff and quite suddenly the plates filled with food.   
  
"See, this is better than that bush tucker isn't it?" James asked with a mouth full of steak.   
  
I shrugged, "I dunno. I could really go for a Kangaroo sandwich right about now."   
  
Lily nearly choked on her soup. "You don't really eat Kangaroo do you?" She asked with genuine concern.   
  
"Sometimes." I said, watching James turn slightly green.   
  
"But that's like, like eating your own cat or something," Peter cried. He eyed me warily, as though I might be lying.   
  
"It's not like eating your own cat." I said haughtily. "It's no worse than eating cows or pigs."   
  
Sirius started to sing softly under his breath, "skippy, skippy. Skippy the bush kangaroo..."  
  
Lily, Peter and I laughed but James and Remus just looked confused.   
  
"Who's Skippy?" Remus asked.   
  
"It's a muggle TV show about a Kangaroo." Sirius said. He turned to me, "are you muggle born?"   
  
I shook my head, "I'm a half-blood. My cousin Celia is a muggle-born though."   
  
We went back to eating but I could hear Lily muttering under her breath, "kangaroo sandwiches. Bleuh."   
  
  
I was awoken early the next morning by my owl Nona. I patted her then red the letter she was carrying.  
  
  
Hey Lia!  
  
How is it over there in England? Cold I'll bet. Made any new friends? Met any cute available buys, or cute guys with cute available brothers? (Hint, hint.) Ombigono isn't the same without you. Heck even Celia isn't her tragically chirpy self. (Or maybe that's just the depressing charm I out on her toast...) Be sure to reply pronto!  
  
Love and Sunshine  
  
Tahnee.  
  
  
I grinned and shivered. It was autumn when I left Australia so it should have been spring in England. I hoped this wasn't an example of a hot spring in England. Shivering again I got up and made my way down to the common room. It was empty except for a girl asleep on a couch by the fire. Sighing I climbed the stairs back to my dorm. When I got there I found Lily was awake.   
  
"God morning." She said when she saw me. "Where've you been?"   
  
I tried to stop my teeth from chattering. "Just went to see if any body was down in the common room. Don't do that, it's freezing!" I called as she started to open the window.   
  
She gave me a funny look, "are you kidding? Today's setting up to be a hot one."   
  
I wrapped myself in rugs. "No Lily, a hot day is at least forty degrees. Today is a day were you stay in bed with hot water bottles."   
  
Lily laughed, "forty degrees? Are you serious? I have a feeling your going to be cold an awful lot here."   
  
I rubbed my hands together, "that's what I was afraid of."   
  
Ellie Lewis yawned and stretched in her bed. "Hey Lily," she said, "hey, umm, Lia isn't it?" I nodded.   
  
"What's wrong?" Ellie asked as I grabbed another rug from my trunk.   
  
"She's cold." Lily said trying not to laugh.   
  
"Seriously?" Ellie looked at me in amazement. I nodded again. Laughing Ellie skipped into the showers. While she was in there my other two room mates, Jessie Mandry and Hannah Nickolson, woke up. After each had voiced their surprise at my being cold, we headed down to breakfast.  
  
  
Sirius and Peter were already at the table when we arrived.   
  
"Hello girls." Sirius said cheerfully. I mumbled an incoherent reply, Lily smiled at me sympathetically.   
  
"What do yous want to eat?" Peter asked, "we got cereal, toast, porridge, sausages and more!" I sat down,   
  
"I don't care as long as it's hot." I said. Jessie laughed,   
  
"pass the porridge Peter please." She said.   
  
Sirius grinned at me, "feeling a bit cold are we? Heck we haven't even hit winter yet..." I scowled and ate my porridge.

Chapter three

Snape's Punishment

Summery: Lia gets a nickname and detention.

======================================================

"Have you found her yet?"  
  
"Almost."  
  
"Almost is not good enough. I have been waiting for fifteen years. I will not wait much longer!"  
  
"We think we have found her my lord. But you know we need her to give her blood willingly. We have placed a spies with her. To find out her weaknesses."  
  
"Very well. Were is she?"  
  
"Hogwarts my lord."   
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
I have now been at Hogwarts for two weeks and how I miss the sun! I swear over here, minus ten degrees is a beach day. It's in-human! Of course everybody here thinks my dislike of the weather is simply hilarious and they've taken to calling me Bluey. As in blue tongue lizard, as in cold blooded Australian reptile. And Sirius thought it would be funny to steal all my rugs while I was sleeping... It's enough to drive one mad. I have made a few friends. There's Lily Steven's, you'd like her. She reminds me of Tanya, never stops smiling. And there's the other girls in my dorm, Ellie, Hannah and Jessie. Also a Ravenclaw (that's another house, I'm in Gryffindor) named Rachel is pretty nice. As far as the male department goes... Well, there's Sirius, who would be cute of he wasn't so damn annoying and there's James, but he think he fancies Lily. Peter isn't really that cute, he reminds me of Theo, you know that idiot in the front row of Potions. 'Sept Peter doesn't have a constant runny nose. And there's Remus, who's I suppose is cute in a funny sort of way. Classes are ok. Transfiguration and Astronomy are good. Potions would be good, but we share with the Slytherians (another house,) and this kid Serverus Snape is a real pain the ass. Well, Lily is calling me, so I'd better go.  
  
All my love,  
  
Lia  
  
  
"Prongs, pass the butter please."   
  
I rolled my eyes. I had, like Lily, given up asking what the boys what their nicknames meant on my first day at hogwarts.   
  
"What do we have first?" I asked Lily, she scanned her timetable.   
  
"Potions."   
  
Sirius rolled his eyes, "oh Moony'll be read sad he missed that." He said sarcastically.   
"Were is Remus?" I asked, noticing for the first time he wasn't at breakfast. Sirius, James and Peter shrugged simultaneously.   
  
"He's around." Said James vaguely. I added that to my already long list of things to find out about my new friends.   
  
"Hey, Lia!" I turned, Rachel waved to me as she left the hall with a group of her Ravenclaw friends.   
  
"Who's she?" Sirius asked, watching her walk off.   
  
"Rachel Sloan."   
  
He smirked his trademark smirk. "She's cute."   
  
Lily through her toast crusts at him and stood up, "let's go," she said. I laughed as I watched Sirius brush crumbs out of his hair and followed Lily.  
  
  
"Bluey! Wait up."   
  
I sighed and turned to face Sirius, "my name isn't Bluey. It's Lia."   
  
Sirius grinned, "yeah sure Bluey, what ever."   
  
I shook my head. "why're you here anyway? You've got arithmacy remember? You don't take study of ancient runes."   
  
He shrugged, "I'm Sirius, do I need a reason? Besides, doesn't Remus take Study of ancient runes?"   
  
I gave Sirius a look I normally reserved for those of mental incompetence, "yes, he does. What that has to do with your being here fails to make sense." I paused, when Sirius said nothing I said, "Well, your not making me late," and started to walk towards the arithmacy room, Sirius followed. Infact, he followed me right up to the door of the room.   
  
"Uh, Sirius. You can go now."   
  
He feigned hurt, "what? Trying to get rid of me?" It was obvious that I was fighting a loosing battle, so I entered the class room and took my usual seat next to Rachel, not sure of what Sirius was up to. Sirius followed me into the classroom. Professor Hopkins frowned at him.   
  
"Who are you?" She asked.   
  
Sirius grinned, "I'm filling in for Remus Lupin."   
  
"What's he up to?" Rachel whispered in my ear.   
  
I shrugged, "haven't got a clue."   
  
Professor Hopkins raised an eye brow. "Indeed? Don't you have somewhere else to be."   
  
Sirius shrugged, "probably." A few people snickered.   
  
Professor Hopkins smiled, "well then, Mr Black isn't it?" Sirius nodded, Professor waved her hand towards Remus's normal seat. "Please, sit down."   
  
Sirius smirked and made his way towards the desk, on the way he whispered to me, "now James owes me two galleons."  
  
  
"You just walked in?" Remus asked. Sirius nodded proudly. I looked at Remus, he looked exhausted. He wouldn't tell me were he had been, Lily said he was away often.   
  
James rolled his eyes. "It's not like it would've been that hard. Hopkins didn't even care. And besides D'Arcy gave you detention for skipping Arithmacy. You've got to find herbs in the forbidden forest..."   
  
Sirius laughed, "it was worth it though. Besides, you're just mad 'cause you owe me two galleons."   
  
Peter shuddered, "I'm glad it's not me finding herbs in the forbidden forest. I hate that place."   
  
Lily smiled, "there are unicorn in there aren't they?" She sighed, "I love unicorns."   
  
Remus yawned, "I'm going to bed," he said as he stood up.   
  
"I think I will too." I said shivering, "at least bed is warm..."   
  
Sirius and James snickered, "night Bluey!" They chorused.  
  
  
"Well, well, well. What are you doing here."  
  
I knew the voice of Severus Snape before I even turned around. This was the first time I'd spoken to him when I was alone. Slowly I turned, half expecting to see him brandishing his wand at me.   
  
"I go to school here Snape." I couldn't help adding "duh."   
  
He smirked, but unlike Sirius', it wasn't a nice smirk. "Why don't you go back to the outback were you belong?"   
  
I shook my head in wonder, "gee Snape. You never pass up a chance to get racist do you? Maybe you need to see a doctor about this obsession."   
  
Snape glowered, he looked like he was about to spit out some snide remark when I heard a familiar voice.   
  
"Snape old chap! Simply corking to see you!" Snape glared as Sirius came up behind me.   
  
"Get lost mud blood." He hissed.   
  
Sirius seemed unfazed by the insult. "Yeah whatever Snape."   
  
His indifference seemed to anger Severus more. "How's your father Black?" He asked in what would be a nice voice, except it dripped grease, like the rest of Snape. I saw Sirius stiffen. "Oh, wait. He killed himself didn't he? Can't blame him. I would too if you were my son."   
  
Sirius reached for his wand but before he could curse Snape into oblivion, I gave the grease ball a well aimed kick. He doubled in pain and even Sirius cringed. Unfortunately, Professor D'Arcy, head of the Slytherian house, chose that moment to walk by.   
  
"What is going on here?" He boomed.   
  
"She kicked me sir!" Snape gasped out in a somewhat high pitched voice. I could tell Sirius was holding back laughter.   
  
"You!" D'Arcy snarled at Sirius, "you have detention tonight don't you?"   
  
Sirius nodded.   
  
He turned to me, "you will be joining him. And thirty points from Gryffindor."  
  
  
Sirius managed to make it back to the common room before he cracked up laughing.   
  
"What's so funny?" Lily asked, looking up from her homework. Sirius was still laughing to hard to answer, tears streaming down his cheeks.   
  
"You should've been there!" He gasped.   
  
"Been were?" Peter, James and Remus at the same time. They looked at me expectantly. But I just smiled and sat down. Let them see what it was like to not know something. Besides, I wasn't looking forward to detention.   
  
Sirius took several gasping breaths and at down on the couch.   
  
"C'mon Padfoot, tell us!" Peter poked Sirius. Grinning gleefully Sirius waited until he had the whole rooms attention before he began.   
  
"Ok, I was taking a stroll through the halls right? Completely innocent of course,"   
  
Sirius ignored the snorts of laughter around him,   
  
"anyway, I could hear old Bluey here,"   
  
we waved his hand at me, I glared back,   
  
"so I decided to go give her a visit. But when I reach her who do you think she was conversing with? Lo and behold, it was Snape! Well, obviously Bluey was in need of a man to help her,"   
  
I kicked him in the shins,   
  
"so of course I rushed to her side. Snape was being even more of a jerk than usual, so I pulled out my trusty ol' wand and got ready to curse Snapey's pants off. But before this could be so, darling sweet Bluey took action."   
  
Sirius grimaced at the memory.   
  
"What she'd do?" Asked a fourth year, listning as avidly as everybody else.   
  
Sirius shook his head, "I can't even speak it. It is to horrible to put into words!" He let out a fake sob, "I almost felt sorry for Snape. Almost."   
  
James looked at me, "what did you do?" He asked.   
  
I laughed, "c'mon Sirius. Be a man and tell them."   
  
Sirius was thoughtful for a moment. "Let's just say," he said finally, "that if Snape had a love life, which I very much doubt mind you, he doesn't have one now." He let this claim sink in.   
  
Remus looked at me in horror. "You didn't."   
  
I shrugged, "he deserved it, the slimy git."   
  
Tom Darnell, a seventh year shuddered. 'What did he say that was bad enough for you to, for you to... Do that."   
  
Sirius shrugged and gave me a look which plainly said, shut up, don't tell them. "He was just being Snape. I'm off to bed peeps. See you in the morn!"  


Chapter four

Unicorn Chatter

Summery: Who ever said detention was boring? 

======================================================

Dear Lia,  
  
So this Sirius so damn annoying is he? I remember that's what you said about Damian Holt, but when he left you were crying for weeks... Bluey is it? Has a nice ring if you ask me. Nothing new is happening here. Unless you count Homer jumping out of the window when History of Magic got to boring for his liking. Well, I had better go, as I am writing this in Potions and my snake bite antidote just did something funny...  
  
Love and Sunshine,  
  
Tahnee.  
  
  
"This is all your fault Sirius." I shivered and pulled my cloak tighter around me.   
  
"My fault? How do you figure that?"   
  
I glared at him, "if you hadn't felt the need to display your testosterone and come running, I wouldn't have needed to kick Snape to stop you from committing murder."   
  
Sirius snorted and added some Lemin vine to his pouch. "You should've let me curse him."   
  
I rolled my eyes, though in the darkness of the forest I doubt he could see me, "and let you go to Azkaban? I will next time, if that's what you want."   
  
"Aww gee, your just too sweet."   
  
I was about to reply with some cutting remark when I heard something, a soft thump. Like something falling.   
  
"shh! What's that?"   
  
Sirius sneezed, "what's what?"   
  
I listened, "that!"   
  
"I dunno, let's go check it out." I personally thought this was a stupid idea, but followed Sirius anyway. I heard him gasp.   
  
"What is it?"   
  
I pushed him out the way. A unicorn was lying on the leafy ground. It was still breathing, but only barely. There was a long gash down it's back. Without thinking, I rushed to it's side,   
  
"get back here Lia! It'll gorge your eyes out!" Sirius hissed. I ignored him.   
  
The unicorn looked up at me. I tensed, half expecting it to, well, gorge my eyes out. But it didn't, instead it laid it's head on my lap. I heard Sirius breath in sharply.   
  
"Please help."  
  
I turned back to Sirius, "what did you say?" He shrugged, "me? I said nothing."  
  
"Help me, please. My children... Help me, please."  
  
"How can I help you?" I whispered to the unicorn. I guessed it was the Unicorn talking. It wasn't that much on an insane idea... Some people could talk to snakes, maybe I could talk to unicorns.  
  
"Please, your blood, please."  
  
"My blood?" I was confused. "You want my blood?"   
  
"Blue, who are you talking to?" Sirius whispered.  
  
"Yes your blood. Please your blood."  
  
I grabbed a sharp sick off of the ground and slashed my palm.   
  
"Lia! What the hell are you doing!"   
  
Unsure of what to do now, I let my blood drip onto the Unicorns wound. I bit my lip and waited. Slowly the wound began to close. I gasped and jumped back, knocking Sirius over.   
  
"How'd you do that?" He whispered in wonder. I was too shocked to reply. The unicorn got up, completely healed.   
  
"Thank you. You will be protected."  
  
Then quite suddenly, it was gone.   
  
"What? How? What?" It would have been funny, for the first time in his life Sirius Black was speechless.   
  
I shuddered, "let's get out of here." Sirius nodded and we started to walk away. Though the whole way back to the castle, I couldn't help but feel someone watching me.  
  
  
"How was detention?" James asked when we got back to the common room. He and Lily were playing chess, Remus was giving James 'helpful' hints.   
  
"Oh you know, the usual." Sirius said lightly. He seemed to have recovered, which was more than I could say for myself, but he kept casting me strange looks.   
  
"Did you find everything?" Remus asked, showing James a move.   
  
Sirius shook his head, "nah, we left early. D'Arcy didn't even notice but."   
  
I sat down on the couch.   
  
"You ok Lia? You haven't said much."   
  
I smiled at Lily, 'I'm fine."   
  
Lily went back to the game, "ha!" She said, she moved her queen, "checkmate." James looked dumbfounded.   
  
"Moony you oof! You made me loose."   
  
Remus laughed, "it's your fault for listning to me."   
  
James and Remus raced around the room playing a rough game of chasie.   
  
"C'mon Padfoot, help me out here!" James yelled as Remus got him in a head lock.   
  
I looked at Sirius, he didn't appear to be listning.   
  
"Pafoot!" James roared as Remus pinned James down. "Padfoot, Moony is kicking my butt! Some help? Please!"   
  
Sirius shook his head, "night all." He said and started up the stairs.   
  
"Do you think he even heard me?" James asked, he stood up and dusted himself off.   
  
Remus looked at me, "what did you do to him Bluey?"   
  
I shrugged, "nothing. Night." I climbed the stairs to escape more questioning.  
  
  
The next day after breakfast I headed straight for the library to find some answers. I looked under Unicorns, Blood and it's magical properties, Parseltongues and even the a-z guide to freaks of magic. Nothing. Zip. Nada.   
  
"I give up." I moaned more to myself than anyone else.  
  
"You give up? Ha, that's a first." Sirius plonked down next to me.   
  
"What are you doing with that?" I asked him, pointing to the book he was carrying. 'What to do when Animagus transformations go bad.'  
  
Sirius shrugged, "hmm? Oh, nothing. Anyway what's the problem? Be quick, Peter's gotten himself into a spot of bother and I have to go help."  
  
I sighed, "I was just trying to figure out what the heck happened last night."  
  
I watched his face darken. "Oh that. Look, I'd just forget it. It was probably a one off. Maybe the moon was in a strange spot or something."  
  
I shook my head, "you don't get it. I could understand it. The Unicorn, I knew what it was saying. I could hear it's voice in my head."  
  
"In your head?" Sirius raised an eye brow, "right-o then."  
  
I kicked him under the table, "don't you look at me like that. I'm not insane, you saw what my blood did."  
  
"Look, just forget it. Maybe you ate something or maybe someone put a spell on you. Trust me, just forget it."  
  
He got up and walked away taking the Animagus book with him. I sighed and left as well, leaving the library with more questions than I started with.  


Chapter five

Voldemort Strikes

Summery: Someone dies and Lia and Sirius have a heart to heart. (Kind of)

======================================================

"Well?"  
  
"We have found her my lord."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Our spies set up a test. She passed. Only a Sabi could have passed it."  
  
"Good, good. Does she know what she is?"  
  
"No idea, but she with learn soon enough. She is determined, it will be a week at the most before she realizes."  
  
"I want her at full power when I take her."  
  
"Of course my lord. She trusts the spies, they will be able to train her. As soon as we find the weakness all will be ready."  
  
"Excellent."  


  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
I most certainly do not like Sirius in the slightest. He's obnoxious, rude and thinks he's always right. Damian was different... Anyway, do me a favor would you? Ask Celia why I was sent to Hogwarts. Something's up here. Or maybe something's up with me... Either way, find out as much as you can ok? Thanks!  
  
Love  
  
Lia  
  
P.S. Tell Homer he's a twit.  
  
  
"Sirius! James! Remus! Peter!" I yelled. I ran down the stairs into the common room.   
  
"What's up Bluey, my love?" Sirius asked with a smirk. I narrowed my eyes. He knew very well what was 'up.'   
  
I glared and dropped the no-melt ice onto his lap. "You wouldn't by any chance know how that got into my bed would you? My now freezing cold bed?"  
  
He was still smirking. "No idea."   
  
"Sirius you're a toad!"  
  
"Then kiss me and I'll become a prince formally known as toad. And all the girls will want me because I'm me and your, well, you."  
  
I gave him my best glare. At least James, Remus and Peter had enough sense to back up.   
  
"I'm going to kill you Sirius Black." I said in an almost calm voice.  
  
He was still smirking, "oh? And how?"  
  
It was my turn to smirk, "remember what I did to Snape?"  
  
Sirius jumped up quicker than a rabbit with a rocket wedged up it's butt. "C'mon Princess Lia, be reasonable. It was just a harmless prank. And besides, it was Prong's idea!"  
  
"Hey!" James yelled from the other side of the room.  
  
Luckily for Sirius, Professor McGonagall chose that moment to enter the common room.   
  
'Professor!" Sirius yelped with relieved joy, "you don't know how happy I am too see you!"  
  
She didn't seem to notice Sirius. I noticed she looked graver than usual. 'Where's Jessica Mandry?" She asked.  
  
"I think she's in our dorm." I said, "I'll go get her."  
  
I raced up to our dorm. Jessica was lying on her bed with Ellie, read the newest edition of Witch Weekly. "Hey Jess?"  
  
"Yah?" She asked, not looking up.  
  
"McGonagall's down stairs. She wants to see you."   
  
Jessie looked puzzled "she wants to see me?"   
  
I nodded.  
  
"Ok then." She got up and started down the stairs.  
  
I flopped on the bed next to Ellie. "Where's Hannah and Lily?"  
  
Ellie shrugged, "I think Hannah went to give Lily moral support. Lily's going to go ask out that Hufflepuff sixth year, Ammos Diggery. She was going to get you to go, but you were busy killing Sirius."  
  
I laughed, "James won't be pleased if Ammos say's yes. I don't know why he won't ask Lily out."  
  
Ellie glanced up a me, her eyes twinkling. "Speaking of the fearsom four," she said, using the nick name we had given them. "How's things with you and Sirius?"  
  
I choked on the chocolate frog I was eating. "Excuse me? What about me and Sirius?"  
  
Ellie just laughed and headed for the common room.  
  
"What about me and Sirius?" I asked again following her.   
  
"Nothing. Geez, you're paranoid sometimes."  
  
"Why does everybody call me paranoid." I said as we entered the common room.   
  
Ellie smiled, "that's 'cause you are paranoid."  
  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
"Well it's true."  
  
"That's it I'm going to bed." I raised my voice so Sirius could hear from across the room, "my freezing cold bed, thank you very much Sirius!"  
  
He grinned, "night Bluey!"  
  
  
"Where's Jessie?" I asked the next morning. I noticed her bed was unslept in.   
  
"Didn't you see her when she came to say good-bye?" Hannah asked me,   
  
I shook my head, "no I went to bed early last night. Why, where is she ?"  
  
"It was you-know-who." Said Ellie softly, "he killed her father."  
  
I nearly fainted. "What? How! Why? Oh my gosh, is Jessie all right?" I couldn't believe it. I mean, you-know-who was pretty big in Australia, but he hadn't killed anybody. Not as far as I knew. A lot of people said his name.   
  
Lily sighed. "She's gone home for a few weeks to be with her mother. Who knows why her dad died. It's not like you-know-who needs a reason. I hope they kill him before he finds the immortality he's obbssesed with."  
  
"I feel so sorry for Jessie." Hannah said, she was almost in tears. "If something happened to my dad I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't be able to handle it."  
  
"I'm going for a walk." I said hastily puling on my robes. Nobody said anything as I walked out.  
  
  
I went outside and sat staring out onto the lake. I wondered what I would do if my dad died. Then I realised he could be dead for all I know. According to what Aunt Kath had told me, my dad left soon after my mum fell pregnant with me. One day he was there, the next he was gone without even a much as a note.  
  
I remembered what Severus had said about Sirius's father. Had that been true? I thought it was. Sirius didn't act like it was a lie, and besides, it's not the kind of thing you'd lie about.   
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Sirius sat down next me, gazing out at the lake.  
  
"Did you her about Jessie's dad?"  
  
He lost his smile and nodded. "Yeah, poor kid."  
  
I bit my lip. "Sirius, what Snape said the other day... About your dad, was that true?"  
  
Sirius gave a harsh laugh. "What that my old man took the gutless way out? Yeah."  
  
I put my hand on his arm. "Don't say that."  
  
"Why not? It's true."  
  
I sighed, "my mum killed herself. with her own wand."  
  
Sirius looked at me, "really? That's what my dad did. Guess we've both got screwy families huh?"  
  
I smiled, "yeah."  
  
"C'mon, no use moping about outside all day. I'll race you back to the castle!"  
  
"You wish frog guts!"  


Chapter six

Letters

Summery: Sirius learns a new word. Lia plots murder.

======================================================

Dear Lia (or should I say Bluey...)  
  
At great personal risk I sat next to Celia in Transfiguration to ask her why you were sent to Hogwarts. She shrugged and said that it was in your mums will or something. Weird huh? Anyway, on more interesting matters, this Sirius character... My best friend vibes are telling me you are head over heels for him, so I sent him a letter also. I may have (accidentally of course) signed it in your name...  
  
luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
I didn't have time to wonder why my mother would send me to Hogwarts. I had more important matters to attend to. I raced down the stairs, knocking Cindy Oxly over in my speed.   
  
"Sirius!" I hollered once I hit the common room.   
  
James stopped reading his Quditch book and looked at me. "Are you looking for Sirius?"   
  
I gave him a 'duh' look.  
  
James smiled, "He's gone to see Madam Pomfrey. He, uh, drank something he shouldn't have."  
  
"What? No wait, don't tell me."  
  
James shook his head and went back to his book.  
  
I sighed and headed for the nurse at top speed.  
  
  
I burst into the large room gasping for breath. Madam Pomfrey looked up and raised an eye brow at me.  
  
"Uh, I'm here to see Sirius Black." I said, trying to regain my dignity.  
  
"He's... Unwell. But I suppose you can see him." She pointed to a bed hidden by a curtain in the far corner.   
  
"Thanks."  
  
I walked over and cautiously pulled back the curtain.  
  
"Sirius?"  
  
He looked green. On closer inspection I realized he was green. It was all I could do not to laugh.  
  
He looked at me, "One joke and your dead."   
  
I smiled, "why are you green?"  
  
He shrugged and said very vaguely, "I drank a potion and it didn't work."  
  
"I don't think I want to know. Hmmm, Sirius Green. Has a nice ring to it."  
  
Sirius smirked at me, "if you tell anybody about this, I might accidentally forget to tell them you didn't write this." He waved his hand at a letter, "I am guessing you didn't write it?"   
  
I nodded, picked it up and read it.  
  
Dear Sirius,  
  
Oh how my heart weeps for you. I dream of your smile, your green (or are they brown? Blue?) eyes. When ever you are near my knees tremble and I get this tingly feeling down my spine. I am failing my classes because I spend my days gazing at your oh so cute moonta. I count the seconds until I see you again my sweet star.  
  
never ending love and kisses  
  
Lia.  
  
  
I snorted, "no, my supposed best friend Tahnee wrote it.'"  
  
Sirius laughed, "well I gathered it wasn't from you. So, your telling all your friends about me hey?"  
  
I shrugged, "is it my fault if they want to know who the geeks of the school are?"  
  
Sirius feigned shock. "Geek? Moi? What does moonta mean anyway?"  
  
I smirked, "roughly translated? Bum."  
  
And with that I got up and walked away.  
  
  
I walked slowly back to the common room imagining all the possible ways to kill Tahnee. But then thinking of her letter made me think of why I was sent to Hogwarts. What was it to my mother if I went to Hogwarts or Ombigono? If she cared so much why did she go and leave me with Aunt Kath? I sighed and rubbed my temple.  
  
"Gizmo." I told the Fat Lady. She obediently swept open and I stepped inside the common room.  
  
"Did you find Sirius?" James asked. He and Remus smirked at me.  
  
"Hmmm? Oh yeah, I did."  
  
I flopped down on the couch still lost in thought. Maybe Celia was lying. Maybe it had something to do with the Unicorn. 'Yes,' said a voice in the back of my head, 'but Sirius told you to forget about that.' 'Why should I have to do what Sirius says?' I argued, 'he's not my keeper.'   
  
"Lia! Hey Lia!"  
  
My head snapped up, "oh Lily. Hey."  
  
She half-smiled at me. "You coming to tea?"  
  
I nodded, "yeah. Of course. Is it time?"  
  
She nodded.   
  
"Ok, let's go then." I got up and headed for the portrait. Lily followed me with a look that suggested she thought I was insane.   
  
  
Sirius was no longer green by the time we got to the table. Infact he seemed quite healthy to me. I wondered how it was humanly possible for one boy to fit so much food into his mouth.  
  
"We didn't think you were coming." Peter said, grabbing another chicken leg.  
  
Remus laughed, "correction, Sirius was worried you weren't coming."  
  
Sirius swallowed and said, "yeah I was. Didn't want to miss an opportunity to check out your moonta."  
  
I laughed and Ellie gave Sirius a funny look. "Moonta? What's a moonta?"  
  
Sirius smiled, "it's a secret."  
  
Ellie rolled her eyes, "you boys have more secrets than an unspeakable."  
  
James shook his head, "this isn't one of our secrets. I dunno what moonta means. What does moonta mean padfoot?"  
  
Sirius laughed and went back to stuffing his face.  
  
"Oh, guess what!" Hannah said suddenly.   
  
"What?" Lily, Ellie and I asked at the same time.  
  
"I just got an owl from Jessie, she's coming back in two days."  
  
Lia grinned, "cool. Is she ok?"  
  
Hannah nodded, "yeah. I don't think she really knew her dad that well."  
  
'Like me.' I thought. I sighed and went back to eating, though the food didn't look as good as it did five minutes ago.  


Chapter seven

Hogsmeade and Caves

Summery: It's a Hogsmead weekend. Sirius takes Lia to see a cave.

======================================================

  
"It is taking longer than expected my lord."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It is taking longer for her to realize than we planned."  
  
"Then speed it up."  
  
"Y-yes master. Of course."  
  
"Good. Now get out of my sight."  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
Oh how my heart weeps for you? Very original. And his eyes are brown, not that I've been looking. Your a big prat you know that? So Celia said it was in my mums will? Are you sure she wasn't lying? Oh and do you still like Lee Winton? Because I may have sent him a letter and (accidentally of course) signed it in your name.  
  
Love Lia  
  
  
Sirius was grinning. "Guess what?" He asked happily.  
  
Lily took the bait. "What?"  
  
"We get to go to Hogsmead this weekend."  
  
I stopped poking a sleeping Peter and said, "really? Cool, I've never been in a completely wizarding town before."  
  
Lily looked dreamy, "you'll love it. Just don't let the guys keep you in Zonko's for too long. There's heaps of other stuff to see."  
  
I smiled happily. Now I had something too look forward too.  
  
  
Lily, James, Peter, Remus and Sirius couldn't stop raving on about Hogsmead all week. I began to think of it as a wizarding Disneyland. The second our feet hit the ground Sirius, James, Remus and Peter dragged us to Zonko's.  
  
"Hey! Prongs look, biting tea cups."  
  
"Do you reckon Snape'll be dumb enough to eat this if I tell him it tastes like chicken?"  
  
"Wow look, a new size of dung bombs."  
  
"Acid pops. Sounds like fun..."  
  
It was enough to drive one mad.   
  
"Bye boys." I said loudly.  
  
Sirius look up from the fascinating invisible ink selections. "Wait, don't go, I want to show you something."  
  
"In here?"  
  
"No outside. C'mon."  
  
Ignoring the immature wolf whistles coming from James, Remus and Peter he grabbed my arm and pulled me outside.  
  
"Where are we going?" I asked not sure I really wanted to know.  
  
"You'll see when we get there."  
  
I followed him out past Dervish and Bangs and into the woods. Finnaly he stopped walking and pointed. "Look up there."  
  
"Up were?"  
  
"There. Up that hill, mountain thingy."  
  
I looked, "is that a cave?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
I sat on the ground and looked up at it. There'd been plenty of caves in Australia but this was the first one I'd seen in England.  
  
Sirius sat down next to me, "can you speak Australian?"  
  
I thought this was a very stupid question. I gave him the 'duh' look and said with extreme sarcasm "no, Sirius I'm just speaking it right now."  
  
He grinned. 'No, I mean, like Aboriginal. Like moonta and all that."  
  
I shrugged, "I can speak some Nunga. I mean, I know a bit. There aren't many people left who can speak it fluently. But I can say something's."  
  
He paused. Like he was working up to something. "What about, 'let's go up to the cave,' how do you say that it what did you call it? Nunga."  
  
I shrugged, "I dunno. That's a whole sentence."  
  
"Go on, give it a go."  
  
I thought for a while, "aipama wadli."  
  
"Aipama wadli."  
  
"That's right, aipama wadli."  
  
"No, really, aipama wadli. You and me, aipama wadli."  
  
I laughed, "ok then. I'll beet you there."  
  
"You wish frog guts!"  
  
  
The cave was smaller than it looked. 

  
"Out the point, that's were I live in Australia," I told Sirius, "there's this cave that's so sacred only the women are allowed inside."  
  
Sirius laughed, "what, are women better than men?"  
  
I shrugged, "that's just the way it is. I dunno why."  
  
Sirius didn't say anything for a few minutes, (a world record) "I think I'd like to go to Australia one day." He said.  
  
I smiled, "you might get the chance. I'm going home for the Christmas holidays. You might be allowed to come. I'm already going to see if Lily can."  
  
He grinned, "cool. You'll have to teach me to speak Nunga so I fit in."  
  
I laughed, "you fit in? You white as snow Sirius. Your even whiter than me. Everyone'll think your a Nukunu."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A bad spirit. A ghost. You're really white like a ghost."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
I spoke in the voice I usually kept for three year olds, "The Aborigines are all black Sirius. And half the town are Aborigines. You'd stick out like a sore toe."  
  
Sirius didn't seem at all put out. "That doesn't matter. C'mon," he said, "we've got to be back soon."   
  
He helped me up and we were on our way.  
  
  
I had to spend that night in the library. I had a Herbology essay due the next day and I hadn't even started.  
  
"Hi Lia."  
  
I smiled, "hey Rachel."  
  
She sat down next to me. "I'm just returning a book," she said, "it's pretty interesting. You might like it."  
  
She handed it too me. It was just called 'Sabi.' That sounded familiar, "Sabi's. They're extinct aren't they?"  
  
Rachel shrugged, "so they say, but I dunno. Anyway, read the book. It's good."  
  
I shrugged and added it to my book bag. I needed a new book anyway.  


Chapter eight

Off to Oz

Summery: Lia finds out what a Sabi is and there's a few more letters.

======================================================

Dear aunt Kath,  
  
How are you? I hope you and Celia are well. Yes, I will be coming home for the Christmas holidays and I was wondering if two of my friends could come? They are both very well mannered and behaved.  
  
Love  
  
Lia.  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
thanks for sending Lee that letter. He and I are now officially a couple. So ha ha to you. Are you coming back for the chrissy holidays? Clar says she hopes you bring some of them 'white fella's' back with you. Oh and I can't ask Celia if she was lying because I put a snake in her bed and she is currently ignoring me. (Which is not that much of a bad thing.)  
  
Love and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
"So, what did you and Sirius get up to in Hogsmead?"  
  
Lily tried to look casual. As if she was just making conversation, but I was pretty sure that James, Remus and Peter were under her bed.  
  
"Oh nothing much. He just took me to see a cave."  
  
"A cave?"  
  
"Yeah you know, one of those big hollow things tha-"  
  
"I know what a cave is. Why did he take you to one?"  
  
I shrugged, "dunno. Thought it would remind me of Australia."  
  
Lily peered at me, "and all you did was talk?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
  
Later that night I decided to start reading the book Rachel gave me. I knew vaguely what a Sabi was. The book explained it in more detail.  
  
  
_The Sabi's were a small, race of wizards with certain magical abilities. If given willingly, their blood had the power to make the receiver immortal, or close to it. All of the Sabi's ended their lives when he-who-must-not-be-named started to gain power, as they did not want him to use any of their blood. Legend has it that their is one Sabi left, if this is true than he-who-must-not-be-named would do anything to find her.  
_  
  
"Watcha reading?" Sirius asked, he sat down next to me.  
  
I showed him the book. "This."  
  
"Sabi. What do you want to be reading about them for? They're all dead."  
  
I shrugged, "so? It's interesting."  
  
"If you say so. I'd rather stare at Snape's moonta."  
  
I snorted, "so, in other words, you'd stare at his face?"  
  
Sirius laughed. "C'mon, no use reading on a nice night like this. Let's go tease Miss Norris."  
  
I shut the book, "you're on."  
  
  
"Sure you've got enough food there Peter?"  
  
Peter considered, "nope." He grabbed another piece of toast to his Mt. Everest pile of food. "Now I do."   
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you boys can eat so much."   
  
Sirius grinned at her, "I don't know how you girls can eat so little."  
  
Further arguments were avoided by the arrival of the owl post. Nona swept down onto my shoulder, a letter firmly attached to her leg. I opened it.  
  
Dearest Lia,  
  
of course your friends may visit. As long as they don't mind traveling by plane? Celia and I are looking forward to seeing you again.  
  
Love  
  
Aunt Kath.  
  
  
I snorted softly, the day Celia was looking forward to seeing me, I'd eat Nona. I folded the letter and smiled at Sirius and Lily.  
  
"Fancy a trip to Australia?"  


Chapter nine

Discoveries

Summery: Ok, Lia, Sirius and Lily go to Australia and Lia (finally) realizes what she is.  


======================================================

"Does she know yet?"  
  
"No my lord. Somebody is delaying her from realizing."  
  
"Dispose of them immediately."  
  
"My lord. our spies state that this person could be the weakness we are searching for."  
  
"Very well. But if she doesn't know soon, you will pay."  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
Congratulations with Lee. When's the wedding? I am coming home for the holidays. Tell Clar I'm bringing one of them 'white fella's' with me. (And before you ask, it is Sirius. One joke and I'll behead you.) Lily is coming as well. So I'll see you then.   
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
"Why don't you guys just use Floo powder?" James asked once I'd explained to him what an airplane was.  
  
"Take the Floo all the way to Australia? You've got to be kidding. Anyway, there's only a few wizarding families were I live. If people started popping out of fire places it might cause a bit of a stir"  
  
Remus looked at me like I was crazy. "Piralanes. I think all Muggle's are insane."  
  
"It's airplanes Remus," Lily corrected. "Not piralanes."   
  
"Doesn't matter how you say it." James said, "it's still insane."   
  
I rolled my eyes and started to close my trunk.   
  
"Aren't you going to take your book?"   
  
I thought for a moment then grabbed it out of Peters hands and added it to my trunk. "Thanks Peter."  
  
Sirius hopped, (yes hopped), into the room. "Let's go! Let's go! Aipama wadli!"  
  
"Huh?" Said Remus, Lily, James and Peter.  
  
"What do caves have to do with anything?" I asked.  
  
Sirius shrugged, "nothing! Let's go! Come on!"  
  
"Not that your excited or anything Sirius." Lily said dryly as we followed him down the stairs.  
  
  
The first words out of Lily's mouth when we got off the plane were; "why's it so hot?"  
  
I grinned, it seemed that my revenge had arrived at last. "Hot, Lily my dear, today is freezing."  
  
Sirius and Lily stared a me. "Now I know why you don't like our weather," Sirius muttered.  
  
"Lia, over here!"  
  
I pulled Lily and Sirius over to Aunt Kath and a very sullen looking Celia.  
  
"Hi Aunt Kath, hi Celia" I said, "these are my friends, Sirius Black and Lily Evans."   
  
Celia muttered hello (though I noticed she eyed Sirius with interest), Aunt Kath smiled, "hello. Welcome to Australia, hope it's not too hot."  
  
"Not at all." Lied Sirius.   
  
"Well we had better choof off." Aunt Kath said brightly It's a pretty long drive to the point."  
  
"Does your car have an air conditioner?" Lily asked hopefully.  
  
  
The first thing I did when we got to Aunt Kaths house was make Sirius and Lily a vegimite sandwich each.  
  
Lily wrinkled her noise and forced the bite down. "Are you trying to poison us?" She demanded.  
  
Sirius was much less polite, he just spat his mouth full right back out again.  
  
"It's vegimite," I told them, "we Australians live off this stuff."  
  
"Well, yeah," said Sirius, "but you eat Kangaroo as well."  
  
  
After the vegimite 'incident' I took Lily and Sirius to meet my friends. First I took them to Tahnee's house.  
  
Tahnee and I babbled on incoherently for about ten minutes.  
  
"You dyed your hair!"  
  
"Your so pale!"  
  
"You've grown so much!"  
  
"You've got an accent!"   
  
Finnaly she turned to Sirius.  
  
"You must be the mysterious Sirius eh?"  
  
Sirius grinned, "and you must be the mysterious letter writer."  
  
Tahnee laughed, "I have no idea what your talking about. Honest I don't. And you must be Lily."  
  
Lily smiled, "yep, that's me. So tell me, is this really a cold day or is Bluey pulling my leg?"  
  
Tahnee smiled back, "no today's not cold. It's not hot either."  
  
Lily moaned "I hope we're not here when it gets hot."  
  
Tahnee laughed, "wanna go swimming out bum rock?"  
  
Sirius raised an eye brow. "Bum rock?"  
  
"It's a big rock," I told him, "that looks like a huge butt sticking out of the water."  
  
"Is the water cold?" Lily asked.  
  
Tahnee and I nodded.  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
  
It was half an hour before we reached bum rock. We had to collect beach towels, bathers, food, drink and I'd decided at the last minute to grab my book. But finally we arrived. And we weren't the only ones there. Old friends of mine were there, Clar and Sarah-Jane Travies were there.   
  
"Hey Lia!" Clar yelled, "long time no see!"  
  
"Hey Clar!" I called.  
  
"Geez Lia, you sound like one of them white fella's now!" Sarah-Jane said, laughing herself silly.  
  
Lily and Sirius stared at Clar goggle eyed. You could hardly blame them, her bleached blonde hair looked even wilder against her black skin and she'd gotten three new earring in each ear. (So now she had six.)  
  
"What's tha matter." She yelled at Sirius, "never seen a black chick before eh?"  
  
Sirius managed to regain his dignity, "I've never seen a black chick in bathers."  
  
Clar laughed, "jump in," she yelled, "it's plenny deep out here."  
  
Sirius, Lily and Tahnee made a beeline for the water. I opted to stay and read my book.  
  
_  
The Sabi's blood it worth the most when the Sabi has learnt how to master their abilities. Sabi's are very powerful, they can lift objects with only their mind power, communicate with all magical animals and melt stone with their glare. But perhaps the most special thing about a Sabi is their blood. Other than making a person immortal, it can also heal and protect.  
_  
  
I felt as though somebody had hold of my heart and was squeezing it. I actually had trouble breathing. Communicate with magical animals, like unicorns? Healing blood? It seemed impossible, but it explained a lot. What if...  
  
"You ok Lia?" Called Sarah-Jane, "you look like you've seen a ghost unna."  
  
I suppose in a way I had. What if I was the last Sabi?  


Chapter ten

Revelations

Summery: Schools back. Lia tells Sirius what she thinks she is. Sirius has an outburst.

======================================================

"She knows my lord. But it will be a week or so before she accepts it."  
  
"Very well. I assume her training is being prepared?"  
  
"As soon as she is back at Hogwarts. Our spies are ready to begin."  
  
"Good, good."  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
I just arrived back at Ombogono and I already miss you. I think Celia is in love with Sirius. Actually, I know Celia is in love with Sirius. She's bewitched her book bag so it's got 'I LOVE SIRIUS,' all over it in flashing colors. I can see why you like Sirius though, he's funny, cute, charming, cute, huggable (like a big dog) and he's cute. Heck, even Clar has decided that 'maybe some of them white fella's aren't so bad.' Life goes on as usual here. The only difference is that everyone who met a certain Mr. Black wants to swap into Hogwarts. Tell Lily I said hi, give Sirius a kiss for me and write back asap.  
  
Love and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
"It's so hot!"  
  
"And they eat this black gooey stuff called Vegimite. It tastes like dragon snot."  
  
"They call Sirius and me white fella's but not Lia and she's white."  
  
"And Tahnee, the one who wrote that letter? Boy is she hot!"  
  
"And all the girls were in love with Sirius."  
  
"And they really do eat Kangaroo! Clar calls it bush tucker."  
  
"They tried to make us try some. I said no way jose."  
  
"They goanna as well! And emu!"  
  
"And it was so hot!"  
  
Needless to say Remus, Peter and James were a little overwhelmed by the barrage of information. Normally I would have joined in but I was still trying to convince myself that I wasn't a Sabi. I went through all the usual arguments in my head. It was a ludicrous idea. The last Sabi would be magical. So what if I could hear Unicorns. That didn't mean anything except I was probably insane. Who cares if my blood did weird things. Maybe I was sick at the time. What does it matter if my mum wanted me to go to Hogwarts. I knew she was insane, she did kill herself after all. But then the annoying Mr. Voice would pipe up. All the Sabi's killed themselves but didn't they? If who-know-who wanted to find you, Hogwarts would be the safest place wouldn't it?  
  
"Bluey! Earth to Bluey!"  
  
I snapped back to reality and looked at Sirius. "Oh, what?"  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes at me, "I was just telling prongs about Clar. How many earring did she have in each ear again?"  
  
"Six."  
  
"That's right. And her hair is, like, bleached white and she could out-talk anyone. Even me!"  
  
I stood up, "I have to go find Rachel," I told my friends. "I have to return her book."  
  
  
I climbed out the portrait hole and set off looking for Rachel. It wasn't hard to find her. She was laying by the lake eating chocolate frogs.  
  
"Hi," I said sitting down next to her.  
  
She grinned and offered me a frog. "How was Australia?"   
  
I smiled, "great. Sirius and Lily loved it. I brought your book back."  
  
I dropped it on her lap. "Thanks. Did you get a chance to read it?"  
  
"Yeah, interesting stuff hey? Do you really think there's still one alive out there?"  
  
"Yeah, I really do. My mum used to know some Sabi's. But they killed themselves with the rest of them."   
  
"So do you know a lot about them?"  
  
"Yeah, a fair bit."  
  
"It didn't say in the book, but for a Sabi to be born, would it's parents both need to be Sabi's?"  
  
"Only one has to be. Sometimes they are born to two normal wizards or muggles, but not very often. If both parents are Sabi's there's a pretty good chance the kid'll be one."   
  
I sighed and picked at the chocolate frog. Rachel looked at me with concern but didn't say anything.  
  
"I'd better go back anyway. I told the others I wouldn't be long."  
  
Rachel nodded, "ok, see you. And Lia?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"If there's anything on your mind, you can trust me ok?"  
  
  
Sirius was reading a book. It was too unbelievable to comprehend. I didn't want to interrupt the miracle, but figured if you-know-who really wa trying to get his hands on me, the book could wait.  
  
"Watcha reading?"  
  
Sirius smiled at me, "that book Clar gave me. The one with the old Aborigine legends."  
  
I took a deep breath, no use beating around the bush. "You remember when we had detention?"  
  
Sirius's happy face dissolved, "are you still on about that Blue? Just forget it."  
  
"I can't Sirius. And besides, I was reading that book Rachel gave me and," I paused to work up the courage to say it. It was as if by saying it out loud, it would become real. "I think I'm the last Sabi."  
  
Sirius stared at me for a long time. "Are you serious?" He finally asked.  
  
I gave a half hearted smile, "no you are."  
  
Sirius gave me a 'are-you-a-complete-idiot?' look. It seemed for the first time in his life he was going to live up to his name.  
  
I sighed, "I am serious Sirius. Look, Sabi's can talk to magical animals right? I could hear that Unicorn. And you saw what my blood did. There's no other explanation that fits."  
  
Sirius glared at me angrily, he was furious. "I told you to forget it Lia!" he yelled.   
  
Everyone in the common room turned to stare. He lowered his voice. "Now you'll die. Don't you'll realize that? It doesn't matter if you-know-who kills you or you kill yourself you'll still die. He told me he wouldn't die. He told me not to worry and now my dad is dead Lia." He stood up, he was nearly crying. Sirius Black, was nearly crying. His voiced dropped to a whisper, "just like you will be."  
  


Authors note: If you liked this, hated this, or if you've read it before, please review. I live for reviews. They are my bread, water and TV.


	2. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: What J.K.Rowling owns, I do not.

Chapter eleven

A Sirius Talk

Summery: Sirius and Lia have another heart to heart by the lake.

=====================================================

Dear Tahnee,  
  
For the last time, I do not like Sirius! And even if I did, it wouldn't matter because he is currently ignoring me. So there. Geez am I in foul mood or what? I guess I've just got a lot to think about. I would tell you, but I don't think I could get it all down on paper. I'll write back when I have my thoughts more organized ok?  
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
Well, maybe Sirius wasn't ignoring me. But he was most certainty avoiding me. I figured it had something to do with his fragile male pride. It's unwritten law, a guy can't almost cry in front of a girl and pretend everything is normal. See, I understood. I understood perfectly. Didn't mean I had to like it.   
  
"Blue?" Lily sat on the end of my bed looking all concerned.  
  
"Hey Lil's." I smiled, just to show how one hundred percent fine I was feeling.  
  
"Are you all right?" Didn't she notice the one hundred percent fine smile?  
  
"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Gee I don't know Lia, maybe because there's a good chance you're the last Sabi?  
  
"I don't know. You've been awful quite lately. And you and Sirius aren't getting on that well are you?"  
  
"Yeah we are." He's just avoiding me.  
  
Lily gave me the 'I-don't-believe-you' look. "Yeah right. C'mon Bluey, you can talk to me."  
  
I sighed, "I know I can Lily and I want to. Really I do. It's just my thoughts are that jumbled I don't know were to begin."  
  
"The beginning's always a good place," said Jessie who had just entered the room and heard the last part of what I said.   
  
"Gee, great help Jess."  
  
She smiled, "Sirius is downstairs. He wants to see you."  
  
I stood up and smiled at Lily. "I promise I'll talk to you later ok?"  
  
She nodded and I left the room.  
  
  
Sirius was fidgeting on the couch. Remus, Peter and James were watching him with bemused expressions. Actually, James and Peter were watching him with bemused expressions. Remus just looked tired.   
  
"Jess said you wanted to see me." I half asked half told Sirius.  
  
Sirius nodded, "yeah I did. Do. I do. Want to come for a walk?"  
  
James snorted. He and Peter seemed to find Sirius' discomfort amusing.  
  
I nodded, "yeah, ok. Let's go."  
  
  
Sirius didn't say anything until we reached the lake. He sat down and I did the same.  
  
"Sorry about blowing up at you last week." He said finally.   
  
I nodded, "I'm sorry for whatever I did. What did I do by the way?"  
  
Sirius looked annoyed. "You didn't do anything."  
  
"Then you blew up at me because..."  
  
He sighed, this conversation was most defiantly not going the way he wanted. "Because, oh I don't know. I like you ok Lia? As a friend, or as something else, I don't really care. Either way, I'm not crash hot on the idea of you dieing and if you tell people what you are, if you learn to use your powers you will die."  
  
I looked at him, "you think I'm a Sabi?"  
  
He gave a half sort of smile grimace thingy. "I know you are Blue. The amount of times I saw my dad heal things like that..."  
  
I felt as though I'd swallowed Bobuter pus. "Your dad was a Sabi?"  
  
Sirius nodded. "Yeah. One of the last. When you-know-who started searching for them he went into hiding. He promised me he'd never die. A few months later he killed himself."  
  
I bit my lip. Unsure of what to say. So I said nothing.   
  
Sirius kept talking, "my mum went to pieces after he died. She's barely together now as it is. But that's beside the point. The point is, if you-know-who gets hold of you, he'll kill you. But first he'll force you to make him immortal. Then he'll kill everyone. If you-know-who doesn't get hold of you it'll be because you've killed yourself." He said all this with a tone one would use when talking about the weather.  
  
I racked my mind for something to say, "do," I took a breath, "do James and that know about your dad?"  
  
He shook his head. "And that's how it'll stay."  
  
I nodded, "of course."  
  
He sighed, "c'mon, we'd better go back. James and Peter'll have a field day. Just think about what I said ok?"  
  
I nodded and followed him inside.  
  
  
"Well?"  
  
"She knows my lord, but she is being delayed even further."  
  
"By who?"  
  
"Black."  
  
"Of course. I should have known. Don't kill him just yet, he could prove useful."  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
"But I still expect her training to have started by the end of the month."  
  
"Yes my lord."  


Chapter twelve

Saving Snape

Summery: Let's see, Remus attacks Snape (as a wolf, not as a human,) and Lia must save the day!

====================================================

Dear Lia,  
  
Sirius is ignoring you? And why would that be? What did you do? Anyway, about here I would usually give you some of my world renown good advice, but as you conveniently forgot to tell me your problem I can not. Is it really so bad you can't tell me?   
  
Luv and extra sunshine (I have a feeling you need it)  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
I thought about what Sirius said all week. I thought about through meals so I didn't eat. I thought about it through classes so I didn't learn. And I thought about it at night so I didn't sleep either. And what was the result of all this sacrifice? A very hungry, tired grumpy teenager, who still had no idea what she was going to do.  
  
"My, aren't we in a good mood?"  
  
I snarled at James and sat down next to Lily on the couch. James just laughed.  
  
"He's right Blue." Lily said, "you've been grumpy all week. What's wrong?"  
  
I shrugged, "nothing."   
  
Lily looked ready to say more so I changed the subject. "Where's Remus?"   
  
Lily rolled her eyes, "haven't you given up asking that yet?"  
  
I shook my head, "no. Where's Remus?"  
  
James waved a hand absently, swishing the question away. "He's around."  
  
I sighed, "ok then where's Sirius and Peter? And if you say around, I'll knock out your teeth."  
  
James laughed, "they've gone to the kitchens to get some food."  
  
My stomach rumbled at the mention of food. I hoped Peter and Sirius would get back soon.   
  
As if on cue the portrait swung open and Peter, (foodless I noted with disappointment) tumbled in and collapsed on the floor. He was red in the face and literally gasping for air.  
  
"Peter, what's wrong, what happened?" Lily cried as James helped him up.  
  
"S-Sirius." Peter choked out.  
  
"What about him? What did he do?"   
  
"Told Snape, the whomping willow, how to get in."  
  
This made absolutely no sense to me, and from the look on Lily's face, it made no sense to her either. But James cursed, told Peter to wait and took off through the still open portrait.   
  
I looked at Lily and then Peter. "What was that about Peter?" I asked.  
  
He just shook his head, he finally had his breath back. "Nothing, don't worry James'll take care of it."  
  
Needless to say, Lily and I were not convinced.  
  
  
Lia, Peter and I sat around the common room worrying for about half an hour. Well, it was really only Peter that looked worried, Lily and I were just confused and curious.  
  
Finnaly Sirius climbed through the portrait hole and ran over to us.  
  
"What's going on?" Lily asked him.   
  
He ignored her, grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "Lia, you have to come with me."  
  
"Why?" I pulled back my arm.   
  
He was in a rush, "c'mon, I'll explain on the way. Hurry."  
  
It seemed I no choice. I followed Sirius through the halls and outside.  
  
  
"Sirius, what is going on? And slow down." I demanded, struggling to keep up with him.  
  
Sirius didn't slow down, he didn't even look at me when he answered. "It's Snape, he's hurt. If you don't help him he'll die."  
  
"What? How can I help him?"  
  
"You blood Lia. Your blood."  
  
  
Snape was lying a few feet away from the whomping willow. James was kneeling over him, looking frightened.   
  
"He's nearly dead." He told us, "you'd better hope that Lia can help him Sirius. Though I don't see how she can."  
  
Sirius gave me a pleading look, "you have to help him Lia. I'll go to Azkaban, so will Moony. C'mon Lia, please."  
  
I had no idea what Remus had to do with all this but I knelt down next to Snape and gasped. He was covered with so much blood I couldn't see what was causing the bleeding.  
  
"What did this?" I whispered.  
  
"A werewolf." James said shortly. "Can you do anything?"  
  
My mind reeled, a werewolf? At Hogwarts? "I don't know. The Unicorn was different Sirius. This is a human being."  
  
Sirius bit his lip, "just try."  
  
"Do you have anything I can cut myself with?"  
  
James looked at me like I was insane. "We should be getting Snape to a hospital, not sitting around cutting ourselves."  
  
Sirius grabbed his wand and transfigured a rock into a small knife and handed it to me.  
  
I scrunched my eyes closed and slashed my arm. I forced the tears of pain away and tried to find Snape's wound.  
  
"This is stupid. He's going to die." Said James. I think he was going into shock.  
  
I found a large gash along Snape's stomach. Trying not to gag I let my blood drip onto it.  
  
Then, just like with the Unicorn, the wound began to close.  
  
James gasped and even though I'd done it before and this time I knew why it was happening, I shrank back, shocked.   
  
Snape opened his eyes. "What am I doing here?" He asked, then he saw James and Sirius. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Sirius turned and whispered to me, "get out of here Lia. Go, hurry."  
  
I hesitated, but did what he said.  


Chapter thirteen

The Feud

Summery: James and Sirius aren't talking and Lia has decided what she is going to do

=====================================================

"He will not delay her for much longer my lord."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Within the next weeks the spies will begin to train her."  
  
"How many spies are there?"  
  
"Two as of now my lord. But we may be able to place more."  
  
"Do so."  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
Dear Madam Tahnee,  
  
Madam Lia is unable or unwilling to write at the present moment so I will be answering her mail. As I am in no position to divulge Madam Lia's problems, I fear you will have to wait in vain until she is ready to once again hold a quill.  
  
With regards,  
  
the charming, sweet, funny butler. (aka Sirius Black.)   
  
  
I didn't say anything once I reached the dorms again. It was lucky Lily had got sick of waiting for us and was in bed. I think the sight of me covered in blood would have worried her slightly. I changed into fresh robes and sat on the end of my bed trying not to think. I knew I'd feel better if I slept, but I knew if I tried to sleep my thoughts would wonder back to the nights events. In the end I went and sat in front of the fire in the common room. Ellie's cat Venus curled up on my lap and fell asleep. And after a while, thankfully, so did I.  
  
  
"Hey, Blue, wake up." I didn't know who was whispering in my ear, but I wanted them to go away.   
  
"Blue, c'mon, you have to get up. I need to talk to you."  
  
I opened one eye with much difficulty. "Sirius, god what time is it? Go away."  
  
"It's six thirty. And I'm not going away, I need to talk to you."  
  
I yawned, "can't it wait?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Fine, fine." I yawned again, stretched and moved over so Sirius could sit next to me.  
  
He sighed, "Snape's all right in case you're wondering."  
  
"He is? Are you sure?"  
  
"Doesn't remember a thing. He remembers being chased, but doesn't remember being bitten. It's lucky you healed him, otherwise if he lived he would have been a werewolf."  
  
"He's not, immortal now is he?"  
  
"No, you would have had to die for him to make him immortal.  
  
I sighed and shook my head. "What's happening with you and James? Are you in trouble?"  
  
"James isn't. He managed to get Snape away from the wolf luckily. So he scored fifty points for Gryffindor. I am in big trouble. Dumbledor said I wouldn't be expelled, but I have detention every night for two weeks and James isn't talking to me."   
  
I was still confused about something. "One more thing, what does the whomping willow have to do with all this? Peter was ranting on about you telling Snape how to get in. Into what? And were does Remus fit in?"   
  
Sirius seemed rather unwilling to answer. I thought for a moment. "Remus isn't... He's not is he?"  
  
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, he is. But he's not like the other werewolves! You know Remus, he wouldn't hurt a fly! If you get past the whomping willow there's a tunnel that leads to the shrieking shack, that's were he goes when he transforms."  
  
It was almost to much to take in. "Well, at least the nickname makes sense now."  
  
Sirius wore a very pained look, "don't tell him you know ok? If James found out I told you, he'll be even madder then he already is. Though I deserve it, I could've got Moony sent to Azkaban."  
  
We sat silently for a moment. Finally I looked up and said, "I know what Moony means now. But what does Padfoot, wormtail and Prongs mean?"  
  
Sirius sighed, "when we found out Remus was a werewolf at the end of our first year we wanted to help him. So we spent four years becoming Animagi."  
  
I gasped, "what! And it worked?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm a dog, James is a Stag and Peter is a rat. Because we're animals we can sometimes go with Remus when he transforms because werewolves don't hurt animals."  
  
I bit my lip. "Ok, Remus is a werewolf, you three are animagi, I'm a Sabi, what's Lily, a vampire?"  
  
Sirius managed a half sort of laugh, "probably. But Lia, you can't let James or Remus know you know what he is ok? James'll never speak to me again as it is, if he found out I told you about Remus he'll just about kill me."  
  
I smiled, trying to make Sirius feel better. Though I was pretty sure it should be the other way around. I was the one who'd just found out her friends were werewolves and Animagi.   
  
"Look, Sirius."  
  
He looked at me, "yeah?"  
  
"I've been thinking about what you said the other day. About your dad and all. And," I paused and took a deep breath, "I want to learn how to use my powers. I mean, I know it'll be dangerous and all, but, I saved Snape's life! I could really help people you know?"  
  
Sirius nodded, "yeah I do. Well, if your sure, I may as well help you. No use trying to learn to use your powers if you don't know what they are."  
  
I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks Sirius, I really appreciate this. I really do." I thought for a moment, "you know Rachel? That Ravenclaw you think is cute?"  
  
He nodded, "yeah."  
  
"We could get her to help. She knows a lot of them, I mean me as well."  
  
"If your sure, then ok."  
  
I shook his hand and hope I wasn't making the biggest mistake of my life.  
  
  
Sirius was right. James wasn't talking to him. He wasn't really talking to anyone. I guess he was kinda freaked out to see one of his friends heal his enemy. Lily still had no idea what was going on, and was in a bad mood because nobody would tell her. And I was just plain worried about learning how to use what ever powers I had. So all in all we were not a bunch of happy little campers.  
  
"Lia, tell Sirius to pass the pumpkin juice."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "Sirius, pass James the pumpkin juice."  
  
"Lia, ask James if his legs are painted on."  
  
"James, Sirius wants to know if your legs are painted on."  
  
Glaring at Sirius James got up and got the pumpkin juice himself.  
  
Lily smiled, "this is freaky. I don't think I've ever seen you two fight before. Why are you fighting?"  
  
James shrugged, "because Sirius is an idiot who would send his friends to Azkaban for a laugh."  
  
Sirius narrowed his eyes but said nothing.  
  
Lily sighed, "I give up. I'll be in the library if anyone wants me."  
  
I got up, "I'm going to the common room. Try not to kill each other."  
  
I started to walk away but James followed me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into an empty class room.  
  
"What?" I asked knowing all to well what he was going to say.  
  
"How did you do that last night? Snape was half dead, then he was ranting on at us like his usual self."  
  
I picked at invisible fluff on my robes. "Yeah, bit of a surprise that." I said lamely.  
  
James gave me the 'look', "c'mon Blue. How did you do it?"  
  
"It's a spell I learnt in Australia." I finally lied, "it's illegal though, so if anyone found out I'd done it, I could go to Azkaban."  
  
I don't really think James believed this, but he didn't press the subject further.

Chapter fourteen

Detention times two

Summery: Sirius gets James a detention. Sirius and Lia talk to Rachel. James gets Sirius a detention.

=====================================================

Dear Tahnee,  
  
sorry for not replying sooner. But I think Sirius did didn't he? The twit. Anyway, how are things back home? Tell Clar Sirius said hi, (actually he said something rather disgusting that I don't really want to repeat.) Anyway, what's my problem? You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But it's not really a problem anymore. Remember what Prof. O'bern used to say all the time? Don't come to me with problems, come to me with resolutions. I have made my problem a resolution. Kinda. On a different note, what do you reckon I'd look like with green hair? Maybe pink would be better? I'm getting sick of plain old brown. After all, it's been that color for fifteen years...  
  
Luv Lia.  
  
  
I watched Remus with amusement. He was trying to listen to Professor Binns, but every five minutes his head would start to drop slowly, then Sirius would poke him, he'd snap back to reality and the cycle would start over. Remus wasn't the only one fighting sleep. James was gone, his glasses hanging crookedly off one ear. Lily was blinking every two seconds and Peter was using his Charms book as a pillow. Professor Binns didn't seem to notice though. He just kept on talking. I caught Sirius' eye and smiled. Casting a furtive look around the room he passed me a note.  
  
Have you spoken to Rachel yet?  
  
I grabbed my quill and scribbled a reply;  
  
No, she's meeting me tonight in the astronomy tower. Will you come?  
  
Yeah ok. What time?  
  
Seven thirty  
  
"Miss Stummings, are you listing?"  
  
I looked around, hoping to see another Miss Strummings near by. Sadly, I was the only one. "Yes sir, of course I'm listning."  
  
Professor Binns glared, "would you mind repeating what I just said?"  
  
I was stuck. Luckily Sirius came to my rescue. "I think James Potter would like to sir."  
  
James woke up with a start at the mention of his name. "Wha-?"  
  
The old ghost turned away from me and floated over to James. I breathed a sigh of relief, "what did I just say Mr. Potter?"  
  
One look at the smirk on Sirius' face told James that he'd been dobbed in. "Ummm, you said that before they cleaned homes house elves danced on table tops?"  
  
Those awake in the room snorted with laughter, Professor Binns was not impressed. "No Mr. Potter I did not. Ten points from Gryffindor for your rudeness and a detention."  
  
Sirius ginned with glee. I just though it was a good thing looks couldn't kill, or Sirius would be joining professor Binns on the other side.  
  
  
"You won't believe what he's making me do!" James cried that night after he'd gone to see Professor Binns.  
  
"What?" Remus asked.  
  
"I have to sort through all of Professor Batista's old useless prophecies! A whole night locked up in the stuffy divination tower!"  
  
Sirius make a noise which could only be described as a cackle. He was really quite pleased with himself.  
  
James glared at him, "this is all your fault!" He yelled.  
  
Sirius immediately put on his innocent face. "My fault? I didn't tell ol' Binnsy to pick on you."  
  
Remus smiled, "uhh Sirius? Yes you did."  
  
Sirius grinned, "oh, well then I guess it is my fault."  
  
James looked ready to give him a black eye, so I decided to play peace maker. "Uh, Sirius?" I said loudly.  
  
He looked at me, "yah?"  
  
"It's seven thirty."  
  
"Oh. Let's go then."  
  
We left the common room, some of the Gryffindors, (ok, more like all of them) whistled, called out vulgar comments and were just all round immature.  
  
  
Rachel was already waiting for us by the time we arrived at the tower. She was staring dreamily up at the stars.   
  
"Hello." I said sitting down.  
  
She turned, "hi." She saw Sirius, "oh hi, Sirius isn't it?"  
  
Sirius nodded, "yep."  
  
She smiled, "I was just looking at you."  
  
I must have looked confused because Rachel laughed and said, "his namesake. The Sirius star."  
  
"Oh. There's a star named Sirius?"  
  
Sirius nodded proudly, "yep. It's the dog star. The brightest one in the sky."  
  
I found it ironic that Sirius should be named after a dog star. "Where is it?"  
  
Sirius and Rachel pointed it out to me and it was a good half hour before I got around to telling her why I asked to meet her.  
  
"Ok Rachel, this is going to sound unbelievable. But just stick with me ok?"  
  
Rachel nodded.  
  
"all right. Well, you know that Sabi book you gave me?"  
  
Rachel nodded again. She looked all mystical sitting there with the moonlight reflecting of her blonder than blonde hair.   
  
"Well, I know it sounds insane, but I think I'm the last Sabi."  
  
I half expecting her to pull a Sirius and start yelling. But she didn't. All she said was, "why do you think that?"  
  
I told her everything. About my mum sending me to Hogwarts, about the Unicorn and about Snape (I left out how he was hurt). Sirius added things when I forgot to mention something.   
  
Rachel sat thoughtfully for a moment once I'd finished. "It sounds like you're her." She said at last. "Your mum probably was as well you know."  
  
I hadn't thought of that. I'd always imagined her as a depressed, insane suicidal maniac. I tried to picture her nobly ending her life to prevent others from getting hurt. It was weird. Like tying to imagine you-know-who helping little old ladies cross the road.   
  
"So, will you help me train her?" Sirius asked. He seemed to know I didn't feel like talking.  
  
Rachel nodded, "I don't know how much of a help I'll be but sure." I wondered how she could be so calm.   
  
Sirius looked at his watch then at me. "It's eight thirty, we should be getting back."  
  
I nodded, "ok. Thanks Rachel, we'll talk to you tomorrow ok?"  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
  
We walked slowly. Peeking around each corner for teachers. I whispered that we should had borrowed James' invisibility cloak and Sirius glared and stated he wouldn't touch anything of James' with a twenty foot pole.  
  
So we were left creeping along like little mice trying to avoid Filch and Miss Norris. We were going quite well too. Until Professor Binns had to float through a wall in front of us and ruin it all.   
  
"Oh, uh, hi professor." Sirius smiled winningly. "Lovely night for a walk."  
  
Professor Binns glared at us. "What are you two doing out of bed this late?"  
  
"Well, I wasn't feeling well, so Sirius was just taking me to see madam Pomfrey." I tried to copy Sirius' innocent smile.  
  
The professor scowled, "Mr Potter told me there'd be students out tonight. You can join him tomorrow night. Now get back to your common room."  
  
He floated away again. Sirius looked at me in horror. "A whole night in the divination tower with Potter? Quick Bluey, kill me." 

Chapter fifteen

Lia = Sirius = ??

Summery: Lia, James and Sirius have detention. Does Lia like Sirius?  


======================================================

"The training has began my lord."  
  
"Excellent. When will she be of full power?"  
  
"It will depend on how quickly she learns. Two months at the least."  
  
"Does she suspect?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"Keep it that way."  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
yeah, I did get a letter from Sirius. Tell him Clar says something equally twisted and disgusting. So, your problem is a resolution now? That makes sense. Maybe Sirius has worped your brain... Celia is in an exceptionally bad mood. Professor Antonovitch only gave her nine and a half out of ten. Clar is in an exceptionally good mood. Professor Antonovitch gave her ten and a half out of ten because she drew butterflies on her parchment. I'm just waiting for them to start clawing each others eyes out... Wait, oops, they've started. Gotta go.  
  
luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
"This is all your fault James." Sirius would have glared at him, but all our energy went into climbing the many stair cases towards the divination tower.  
  
"Quite!" Filch snapped.  
  
"Yeah well, you got me a detention first!" James hissed at Sirius and me.  
  
"I didn't!" I said a bit to loudly. Filch glared at us. We were silent for a few floors.  
  
"I didn't get you a detention." I said it softly this time.  
  
James shrugged, "sorry 'bout that Blue. But you and jerk face are peas in a pod. You can't find one with out the other."  
  
I was about to argue when we reached a dead end. I gave Filch a puzzled look. Rather unexpectedly a silvery stair case appeared in front of us. We climbed up it into a small rather stuffy room. Filch indicated to a large chest full of parchment.   
  
"Sort those into alphabetical order. Use the name at the bottom to sort them And don't read 'em!" He instructed. And with that, he was gone.  
  
Sirius looked like he's swallowed sour milk. "James, did I forget to thank you for this?"  
  
  
Some of the prophecies were semi interesting. Most were old, boring and unreadable. Sorting them into alphabetical order was a very tedious job. Especially when almost all the names at the bottom started with A. Who knew there were so Many Angus and Alto's in the nineteenth century?  
  
Bored out of our brains we took turns reading them aloud. (Even though Sirius and James still refused to speak to each other.)  
  
Sirius snatched up a smelly old falling to pieces prophecy and began to read. "When Venus is in the twelfth house and the moon rides high, the evil will fall to a babies cry."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "not that it's vague or anything."  
  
James grinned, "that's what divination is about. Being vague. You read one."  
  
I dug deep and grabbed one from the bottom of the chest. I scanned it quickly and laughed, "this isn't a prophecy, it's a child's poem. It sounds like Doctor Sues."  
  
James was puzzled, "who?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"Read it any way," Sirius urged.  


__

"It is indeed a pity, that they are no more.   
Now who will save the young, rich and poor?  
Ah, but you have it all wrong, indeed you do,  
she's still here, but she has not a clue.  
Then how will she help him if she does not know?  
How will she save us from our undoubted foe!  
The maurorders of four, forget them not,  
they'll awaken her brain, before it can clot!  
ah but of course, it will not last,  
she'll save the child then leave our world fast.  
I am afraid your right, but do not despair,  
she'll do her bit, it's only fair!"  
  
Sirius smiled, "the four maurorders. I like that."  
  
I smiled, "moony, wormtail, padfoot and prongs. The four Maurorders." I paused, "of course you can't be Maurorders if your not talking."   
  
Sirius glared at me, "then I'll be the lone maurorder."   
  
I rolled my eyes and went back to sorting.  
  
  
"So, were do we start?" I asked Sirius and Rachel. We were in the astronomy tower again, as during the day nobody went in there.  
  
Rachel shrugged. "I'm not sure, maybe with the telekinesis?"  
  
Sirius looked as confused as I felt. "The what?"  
  
"Moving things with your mind."  
  
I shrugged, "sounds good to me."  
  
Sirius pulled a quill out of his robes and placed it on the floor in front of us. "Try lift it." He told me.  
  
I stared at it for what seemed like five minutes but nothing happened. "That worked." I said dryly.  
  
Rachel smiled, "you probably won't be able to do it for at least a few more days. It's a case of practice makes perfect."  
  
Sirius grinned, "you sound like a professor."  
  
Rachel gave him a tolerant smile then turned to me. "Ok, try looking at the place you want the quill to be, in this case the air, and picture the quill already there."  
  
So, feeling like a complete loser, I stared at thin air trying to imagine the quill floating there.   
  
Again, nothing happened.  
  
This didn't seem to faze Sirius and Rachel. Though I was ready to through the dumb quill out of the window.  
  
Sirius smiled at the look on my face, "you're trying too hard." He told me. "You just have to relax into it."  
  
So I tried relaxing into it. I tried with my eyes closed and with my eyes open, with my tongue out and with my tongue in and on Sirius' request, I tried it cross eyed. The quill didn't move.  
  
Rachel smiled reassuringly, "don't worry. I didn't expect anything to happen on your first go. It takes time."  
  
I sighed, "it better not take to much bloody longer. I'm not known for my patience."  
  
Sirius laughed. "don't worry, you'll get it." He checked his watch, "I'd better get to my detention."  
  
Rachel smiled, "you have detention. Why doesn't that surprise me? What'd you do?"  
  
"I attempted to kill Severus Snape." Sirius replied with a straight face.  
  
I poked him and walked Rachel back to her common room.  
  
  
"You've been spending an awful lot of time with Sirius lately." In her sheep and cow pajamas Lily looked more like a ten year old than a girl of fifteen.  
  
I smiled, "oh have I? You've haven't been spending much time with James."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "that would be because I don't like James."  
  
"Sure, sure."  
  
"I don't!"  
  
"Well, I don't like Sirius. He's just helping me out with something."  
  
Lily looked at me slyly, "tongue exercises?"  
  
"Lily!" I threw my pillow at her.   
  
Laughed she asked, "well is it true?"  
  
"No!"  
  
She giggled, "I could name about fifty girl in Gryffindor alone who'd kill to go out with Sirius Black."  
  
I tried to look angry, "well I'm not one of them."  
  
"Oh, of course not."  
  
What a stupid idea, I thought sleepily later that night. I don't like him, he's so annoying. No, I defiantly do not like Sirius Black. That's for certain. Isn't it?

Chapter sixteen

The Pantless Prank

Summery: Ok, Sirius plays a prank on James (they still aren't talking) and Lia finally has some success.  


=====================================================

Dear Tahnee,  
  
I miss Ombigono. Everything here is just far too complicated. Don't think you could persuade Celia to convince Aunt Kath to bring me home? Life at Hogwarts is starting to resemble a bad American soapie. James and Sirius still aren't speaking, James and Lily like each other but refuse to admit it, everybody is convinced Sirius and I are having a secret love affair (which we are not!) and Gwen Thompson (a semi-nice Slytherian) is convinced Severus Snape liked me! Ahhhhhhhhh! You'll have to excuse me now, I'm going to jump into the he river.  
  
luv Lia.  
  
  
"It's been a week." Lily announced at breakfast.  
  
"What's been a week?" Hannah asked her.  
  
"Since James and Sirius started fighting. A whole week."  
  
Hannah looked amazed, "really?"  
  
"Really what?" Questioned Jessie and Ellie who had slept in as usual and only just arrived.   
  
"Sirius and James have been fighting for a week." I reported.  
  
Ellie looked worried. "Wow. I can't remember them ever fighting for more than an hour. What are they fighting about?"  
  
Lily shrugged, "Bluey knows."  
  
I felt four sets of eyes turn to me and wondered if my friends were capable of torture. "No I don't. I'm as clueless as the next person." I lied.   
  
Jessie rolled her eyes. 'Yeah right. You're Sirius' girlfriend. He must've told you."  
  
"I am not Sirius Black's girlfriend!"  
  
Jessie was determined, "well he still must have told you."  
  
I stared at my toast. Have you ever noticed how much Jam looks like that gunky stuff that oozes from your eye occasionally? "He didn't tell me anything."  
  
"C'mon Blue," worked Ellie, "he must have told you something. Don't you trust us?"  
  
No, come to think of it jam doesn't look like eye ball gunk, it looks more like colored snot. "I'd tell you guys if I knew. Really I would."  
  
"Tell them what?"  
  
Salvation! I swear I could've kissed Remus.   
  
"They want to know why James and Sirius are arguing."  
  
"Oh," Remus smiled, "it's stupid. I don't think even they know what they're fighting about."  
  
Why was he such a good lyre? Well, I suppose he did have to lie about where he went every month. Practice makes perfect.  
  
"What're we talking about?" Sirius asked as he and Peter joined the table.  
  
"What you and James are fighting about," said Lily promptly.  
  
Sirius waved his hand in front of his face as if shooing away invisible cobwebs. "James is just a jerk, that's all."  
  
I sighed and left for Transfiguration.  
  
  
I only had to take one look at Sirius at lunch to know he was up to something. He had a smirl on his face. A smirl is a cross between a smile and a smirk. Sirius only ever smirled when he was up to something.  
  
"What'd you do?" I asked as I sat down.  
  
Sirius looked like he was going to claim innocence but changed his mind. "You'll see. Any second now. Just keep watching James."  
  
I stared at James trying not to appear to obvious. He appeared completely normal to me. No, that wasn't completely true. But he'd been sick at breakfast and had been at the nurses all morning. I shot Sirius a puzzled glance, "I see no change."  
  
Sirius gave me a look, "you really don't have patience do you Blue? Just wait."  
  
So I waited. Lily joined us at the table and turned to James. "Professor McGonagal gave us a stack of homework for transfiguration, did you get it off her?"  
  
James nodded, "yeah, I saw her after class." A pause. "Without my pants."  
  
Sirius howled with laughter. James looked very shocked. "I didn't mean to say that!" He said. Then, "without my pants.  
  
Everyone within hearing range was either laughing loudly like Sirius or like Lily, turning interesting shades of red trying to hold it in.  
  
"Sirius without my pants!" James said madly, "what did you do, without my pants?"  
  
Sirius had tears running down his cheeks from laughing so hard. "Me? I did nothing."  
  
"Don't lie without my pants!"  
  
"Ok, I'll lie with your pants."  
  
This was too much even for Lily. The other houses were giving us Gryffindors funny looks. No doubt wondering if we were all insane.  
  
"James Potter!" Yelled Professor D'Arcy, "what is going on over there."  
  
James obviously didn't want to answer him and let's face it dear reader, would you have?  
  
"Potter answer me!"  
  
James mumbled something.  
  
"Louder!"  
  
James sighed and called, "nothing's going on sir!" He clamped his mouth shut trying to keep the words out and for a moment it looked as though he had succeeded. But then, "without my pants!"   
  
  
James spent the rest of the day in the hospital wing, to escape the rest of the school more than anything else.  
  
"That was mean Sirius." Remus told him later that night in the common room.   
  
Sirius sniggered, "I know, but it was still funny."  
  
"What did you do anyway?" I asked.  
  
Sirius shrugged, "just a potion I picked up."  
  
"You've probably scared James for life you know." Jessie told him.   
  
"You really think so?"  
  
I was wondering how hard I should hit Sirius when the portrait hole opened and James climbed through.  
  
"Found your pants yet James?" Called an idiot seventh year.  
  
James ignored him and the responding laughter. He glared at Sirius, "I'll get you for this." He seethed sounding remarkably like the wicked witch of the west. I wouldn't have been surprised if he added, 'you and your little dog too.'  
  
Sirius smirled, "yeah, well make sure that when you do, you do it with your pants."  
  
  
Wednesdays lesson of Study of Ancient Runes was a more boring one. I occupied myself by trying to make my quill rise. Remus noticed my look of utter concentration and asked, "what're you doing?"  
  
I shrugged, "nothing. That's just the problem, nothing."  
  
He gave me the, 'ok-then-I'll-just-back-away-slowly' look and asked, "has Sirius asked you out yet?"  
  
I hope he didn't take my look of shock mixed with glee as an affirmative answer to his question. No, the glee and shock was because the quill was no longer on the desk but floating merrily in front of me.

Chapter seventeen

Potter's Revenge!

Summery: It's time for Sirius to be humiliated!

======================================================

"The training is going excellently my lord."  
  
"How long until she is of full power?"  
  
"Sooner than we could have hoped. She is learning exceedingly fast."  
  
"And she still doesn't suspect?"  
  
"No my lord."  
  
"Good."  
  
  
Sirius,  
  
have you asked Lia out yet? If not, hurry up! I've betted Clar and Sara-Jane three galleons that you be together by the end of next week. And you don't want to see me loose do you? Besides Lia really does like you. All her letters are Sirius this and Sirius that. So do us all a favor and ASK HER OUT!  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
"Ok, now try move it a little to the left."  
  
"I'm having enough trouble just keeping it in the air!"  
  
"Just try."  
  
I concentrated even more then I already was and tried to move the quill a little to the left. Surprisingly, it did move slightly before it fell to the ground.  
  
Sirius smiled, "see? Your getting better."  
  
I laughed, "and I'm becoming very well aquatinted with the astronomy tower."  
  
Sirius shook his head, "c'mon, we'd better get back or we'll miss lunch."  
  
He helped me to my feet and we made our way towards the great hall.   
  
  
"Where've you two been all morning?" Lily asked as we sat down.   
  
Sirius glared at James for a second before he answered, "we've been to London to visit the queen!"  
  
He got the groans he deserved.   
  
"Got your pants today Potter?!" Some loud mouthed Slytherian yelled across the hall. James went red and glared at Sirius who was smirling again.  
  
"If I were you Sirius," said Peter, "I'd start sleeping with one eye open."  
  
  
I woke up early on Sunday morning. Not too early mind you, but early enough to be the only person in the common room. I snuggled in front of the fire and began to read another Sabi book Rachel had lent me.  
  
I almost didn't notice James climbing through the portrait hole about half an hour later.   
  
"Where've you been?" I asked him. He was looking very pleased with himself.  
  
He shrugged, "oh around. No were in particular."  
  
I smiled, "you wouldn't have been doing something that would humiliate a certain Sirius Black would you?"  
  
He grinned, "of course."  
  
Three sixth year girls strutted past us and climbed out of the portrait hole. About three seconds later they burst through again giggling madly.  
  
"What'd you do?" I asked James slightly alarmed.  
  
He laughed and waved his arms towards the portrait hole, "go see"  
  
Somewhat nervously I opened the portrait hole and peered out.   
  
James had somehow gotten hold of Sirius' family photo albums. On the wall directly in front of the portrait hole, (stuck with Zonko's unstickable glue if I wasn't mistaken), was a photo of Sirius. (James had labeled it in big black writing.) He only looked about three years old and he was grinning and waving cheekily. All this was fine What wasn't fine was the fact that little Sirius had no clothes on....   
  
  
Soon, everybody had seen the photo. James had plastered them near all of the common rooms, in the great hall, by the library, in most of the class rooms and (according to James) all around Hogsmead. Sirius wasn't impressed.  


  
"Oh come on, you know you deserved it."   
  
Sirius was sulking up in his room. (It was the only place in the castle were he wouldn't bump into any giggly girls.) Remus and I were trying to cheer him up.  
  
"I did not. He started this fight."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "I seem to remember you saying that James had every right to be mad at you?"  
  
He shrugged, "I was tired, I wasn't thinking straight."  
  
Remus gave him the 'your-being-childish' look. "Did you really think that James wouldn't retaliate?"  
  
I tried a different tack, "the photo's cute."  
  
"I'm naked."  
  
"You're cute naked."  
  
Remus snorted, "and you would know?"  
  
I poked him. "You're not helping Lupin."  
  
He smiled, "well, I'm not telling him he looks cute naked."  
  
I had a scary thought, "uh Sirius? You're not going to retaliate are you?"  
  
"Of course I am."  
  
I had a feeling things were about to get very messy.  
  
  
"Hey this is interesting." I said.  
  
"What is?" Rachel asked.  
  
I read aloud from my book, "not only can a Sabi's blood make person immortal it can offer protected to those they love."  
  
Sirius scratched his ear, "what do they mean protection?"  
  
"If a Sabi gives their blood to someone they love," Rachel explained, "that person will be protected from everyone else with a Sabi's blood. What I mean is, say a Sabi gave her husband some her blood. And a different Sabi gave some of his blood to his daughter. Those to people wouldn't be able to harm each other because they both have the Sabi's blood in them. It's the same thing if a Sabi makes a person immortal, that person can't kill anyone with a Sabi's blood in them. But it only works if the Sabi loves the person. So I don't think Snape is protected because you gave him your blood."  
  
I smiled, "cool."  
  
Sirius thought for a moment, "say a Sabi gave her daughter her blood. So this girls protected. If she grows up and gets married and she gives protected blood too her husband, will the husband be protected?"  
  
Rachel nodded, "yeah, but the girl won't be anymore."  
  
I yawned, "it's late and this is getting confusing. I'm going to bed."

Chapter eighteen

Snape = Peacemaker?

Summery: Lia gets ready to move up to bigger and better things and the Potter / Black war continues.

=====================================================

Dearest Tahnne,  
  
as much as I would love to make you happy and ask Bluey out I am afraid I can't. This is because I am secretly in love with you. Yes, it's true. Will you marry me?  
  
Love Sirius  
  
  
On Tuesday Sirius dyed James's hair green while he was sleeping.  
  
On Wednesday James convinced Peeves to follow Sirius around and throw stuff at him.  
  
On Thursday Sirius strung all of James's underwear from the Quiditch goal posts.  
  
On Friday James turned Sirius's skin purple with pink polka dots.  
  
By Saturday everybody had had enough.  
  
But nothing we did seemed to have any effect. Remus was all for locking them in a closet and just leaving them there until they were talking again. Hannah pointed out they'd probably kill each other, so we decided not to do that.   
  
"It's hopeless." Jessie moaned. "They'll never speak and so we should just get used to it."  
  
Lily sighed, "they have to speak again. They're James and Sirius."  
  
"No, I'm Sirius. No James. Just Sirius."  
  
I turned and looked up at Sirius, "do you have to sneak up on us like that?"  
  
He nodded, "of course, you could have been discussing something interesting."  
  
"We were. Like when are you and James going to stop this childish fight?" Ellie asked with her eyes narrowed.  
  
Sirius shrugged, "I didn't start this fight."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "then do us all a favor and finish it."  
  
Sirius shrugged again and walked off.  
  
Frank Longbottom, a third year came in and said to me, "there's a girl named Rachel waiting outside for you."  
  
"Oh, thanks." I got up and left the common room.  
  
  
"Ok now move it too the left."  
  
I moved the quill to the left.  
  
"Now to the right."  
  
I moved the quill to the right.  
  
"Move it up."  
  
I moved the quill up.  
  
"And down."  
  
I moved the quill down.  
  
Rachel smiled at me, "I think you've got it. We should try you with something heavier."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. A chair?"  
  
"A chair? I can only just lift a quill."  
  
"A chair would be exactly the same, except you'd just need a bit more concentration."  
  
"A bit?"  
  
She smiled, "ok, a lot more concentration. How about we try it tomorrow when you all fresh and awake."  
  
I shrugged, "yeah ok."  
  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Sirius grinned, "I'm replacing James's shampoo with honey."  
  
I shook my head, "that's a muggle prank Sirius, can't you think of anything better?"  
  
"Why would I want to? It's a classic. Anyway, why are you in our dorm?"  
  
I sighed and flopped down on Sirius's bed, "Rachel wants me to try lift a chair."  
  
He smiled, "and you don't think you'll be able too?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Hi Padfoot, hi Bluey."  
  
I waved to Remus. "Hi Remus."  
  
He smiled, "what are you doing up here?"  
  
I shrugged, "complaining."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at Sirius, "and what are you doing?"  
  
"Filling James's shampoo bottle with honey."  
  
"Oh."  
  
I sighed, "you haven't played a prank on Snape for ages. I think he's getting cocky."  
  
Remus sat down next to me, "that's because he's been to busy playing pranks on James."  
  
I hit Sirius lightly, "see? Because of your fighting, Snape is happy. Is that the kind of world you want to live in?"  
  
Sirius laughed, "well, we can't have Snape happy can we?"  
  
I stopped counting the dots on Sirius's pillow, "so you'll talk to him?"  
  
Sirius shrugged, "maybe. After this prank."  
  
Remus sighed, "sometimes I wonder about you Sirius."  
  
  
"We meet again Stummings."  
  
I winced and turned to face Snape. "Oh. What do you want."  
  
He flashed an oily grin, "is that how you greet a friend?"  
  
I shook my head, "no of course not. I greet my friends in a much nicer manner. But I hardly think you count as a friend."  
  
He scowled, "watch what you say Strummings. You haven't got Black here to protect you this time."  
  
"Oh go boil your head." I snapped. I was supposed to be meeting Rachel, not making chit chat with Snape.  
  
"What's the matter Strummings. One would think you didn't like me."  
  
I sighed, "can we carry on this charming conversation some other time Snape? I have other places to be."  
  
He grinned, "oh I don't think so. I have plenty of time."  
  
I was pondering if I should kick him again when James rounded the corner and nearly walked into me.  
  
"Oh, hi Lia," he said smiling. Then he saw Snape and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"None of your business Potter." Snape's voice was equally venomous.  
  
They glared at each other for about three minutes when Sirius arrived on the scene.  
  
"This seems familiar," he said in a cheery voice, "quick Blue, kick Snape." He paused, "and kick James too."  
  
Snape winced slightly at the memory then grinned greasily, "my, my. Don't tell me Potter and Black are fighting?"  
  
Nobody said anything and Snape crowed with laughter. "who would've have thought? Everybody's favorite couple, not speaking."  
  
I shrugged and glared at Snape. "It doesn't matter if they're not speaking. That doesn't make them weak."  
  
If Snape's grin got any greasier you could bottle it. "What will everybody say when they find out that they're favorite pranksters are out of business."  
  
"So what if they've gotten boring and they're not pulling pranks?" I asked angrily.  
  
Sirius finally found his voice. "Who said we were even fighting? Did you say we were fighting Prongs?"  
  
James shook his head, "never said anything of the sort Padfoot. I think you'd better see the nurse Snape, you're imagining things."  
  
Snape glared and stalked away. As soon as he was out of hearing range Sirius turned to me. "You think your smart now don't you?" He asked me.  
  
I grinned, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
James suddenly remembered something, he glared at Sirius, "did you put honey in my shampoo?"  
  
Sirius smirled, "yeah that was me. With my pants of course."  
  
James went red at the memory of the without my pants incident. "That wasn't funny." He snapped.  
  
Sirius was still laughing, "yeah it was. Would have been funnier if it was Snape though."  
  
James smiled, "well, why don't we do it to Snape? Can you make the person say whatever you want?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so."  
  
I smiled and slipped away. Thanks to Snape, everybody's favorite couple was talking again.

Chapter nineteen

Lost Dreams

Summery: Lia dreams of the past, Lily and co begin to get suspicious  


================================================================

All is going well, but-"  
  
"but what?"  
  
"She is getting distracted."  
  
"Then undistract her!"  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
_She was beautiful. Even as she sobbed, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she could be described as nothing less.  
  
She heard footsteps behind her and hastily wiped the tears away. "Who's there?"  
  
"It's only me." A young man sat down beside her.  
  
She managed a small smile, "oh hello. Congratulations are in order I believe? A boy, you must be rapt."  
  
"Oh I am. He's perfect in every way."  
  
"Like his father eh? What did you name him?"  
  
"Sirius."  
  
She chuckled, "a fitting name really. Is he..."  
  
"One of us?" He paused, "no, thank the lord."  
  
She sighed, "I remember the days when the birth of another would have been a good thing. Not a curse."  
  
"Yes, well these are dark days we are entering. Have you heard what most are planning?"  
  
She nodded, "yes. I don't want to kill myself. What will become of my child?" She patted her stomach affectionately as she spoke.  
  
He sighed, "I am like you. I don't want to die. It's selfish I know, but I want Sirius to grow up knowing his father. I think I'm going to go into hiding. Even if it's only for a few years."  
  
She bit her lip, "I fear for my child. I fear for myself. Oh what will become of us?"  
  
She shrugged again, "I do not know. All I know is that these are dark days, and things will get worse before they get better.   
_  
  
"Lia! Wake up!"  
  
I opened my eyes slowly. "What?"  
  
Lily was leaning over me looking worried, "are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"  
  
Hannah appeared next to her, "you were crying, in your sleep."  
  
I sat up, "was I?" I felt my cheeks, sure enough they were wet.  
  
"What were you dreaming about?" Lily asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I don't know. I remember there were two people talking, but that's all."  
  
Hannah bit her lip, "are you sure your ok?"  
  
"I'm fine. Really."  
  
  
"Ok, now concentrate."  
  
"I am, I am."  
  
"Well concentrate harder, the chair isn't moving."  
  
"Sirius, I don't think your helping. Ignore him Lia."  
  
I flopped back, "I give up," I moaned.  
  
Sirius smiled at me sympathetically, then said, "I've been thinking."  
  
"Shock, horror."  
  
"Shut up Blue. Anyway, I think we need a new place to practice."  
  
Rachel cocked her head, "why? There's nothing wrong with the astronomy tower."  
  
"Yeah, but the seventh year astronomy classes start soon, so it'll be out of bounds at night. And it's only a matter of time before someone comes up here during the day."   
  
I sat up again, "fair enough. But were else is there?"  
  
Sirius shrugged, "I dunno. We'll think of something."  
  
"Ok, enough of a break," said Rachel, "c'mon Lia. Concentrate."  
  
  
By nightfall the chair still hadn't moved, so we gave up and went back to our common rooms.  
  
"Where do you and Sirius go all day?" Lily asked me that night when we were all in bed.  
  
I yawned, "I don't go anywhere with Sirius during the day."  
  
"Yeah right," I heard Jessie say, "after breakfast you two disappear together and we don't see you until night."  
  
"And it's the opposite during the week," added Ellie, "after class you go, and we don't see you until morning."  
  
I shrugged even though they couldn't see me, "really, I never noticed that. I just wander around on my own. I never see Sirius."  
  
"Yeah right."  
  
"Gee Hannah, I get the feeling you don't believe me."  
  
"That's because I don't."  
  
"Oh well, I don't care. Night all!"  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
I am beginning to question Sirius' sanity. Perhaps you should find a new boyfriend. Oh, good news, Celia is currently in the hospital wing. Sarah-Jane (our sweet kind Sarah-Jane) got fed up with her complaining and turned her into a possum. I would send photos, but the matron won't let me in. So you'll just have to imagine it.   
  
Luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee

Chapter twenty

Secrets Red Roses

Summery: Some more dreams, a new practice place and a secret red rose...

================================================================

There is a problem my lord."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"She is remembering."  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
Sirius is not my boyfriend. I don't know who my boyfriend is. He's currently nameless. But that doesn't matter, after all, what's in a name?  
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
"Hold it!"  
  
"I'm trying! It's not easy you know!"  
  
"Ok, let is go."  
  
I let the chair go and it hit the ground with a crunch and broke.  
  
Sirius grinned, "two minutes! You're getting better."  
  
I yawned, "and tireder."  
  
Rachel smiled, "well come on then. Let's go to bed."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes, "yeah. We can get a whole three hours sleep."  
  
  
On my bed when I got back was a single red rose. It was enchanted so it wouldn't die and the thorns had been removed.   
  
"Lily!" I shook her. "Lily!"  
  
She opened her eyes, "wha?"  
  
"Do you know who left me this?" I showed her the rose.  
  
She shook her head. "Maybe you've got a secret admirer," she mumbled before she went back to sleep.  
  
  
Sirius was sleeping.  
  
This was fine. After all, he'd spent the night forcing me to lift a chair. Of course he was tired. The problem was he was sleeping in transfiguration...  
  
"Mr. Black!"  
  
Sirius' head snapped up, "what? Oh was I sleeping?"  
  
Professor McGonagal nodded.   
  
"Oh, that's funny. I was dreaming that I was wide awake. Does that count for something?"  
  
"Why were you asleep in my class Mr. Black?"  
  
"I was tired?"  
  
"Why were you tired?"  
  
"It's Peter's fault Professor. He snores so loudly all night that I just couldn't sleep."  
  
"The real reason Mr. Black."  
  
"The real reason? Ok..."  
  
  
"Twenty points!" We were in herbology, three periods later and Sirius was still ranting on. "I can't believe she took twenty points!"  
  
James rolled his eyes, "well padfoot, you did tell her you spent the night helping the house elves catch purple flying elephants."  
  
"Do you think she didn't believe me? Maybe I should've gone with, I spent the night teaching the last Sabi how to lift a chair."  
  
"Helping house elves catch purple flying elephants is more believable padfoot," Peter said smiling.  
  
"Where were you last night anyway?" James asked.  
  
Sirius shrugged, "around."  
  
"You weren't playing pranks on the Slytherians without us were you?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Oh no, of course not. I was just around."  
  
Remus, James and Peter looked confused. Lily smiled at them, "now you know how we feel whenever we ask you something."  
  
James shook his head, "nah uh, that's different."  
  
"Is not."  
  
"Is too."  
  
"Is not."  
  
"Is too."  
  
I blocked them out and went back to work.  
  
  
"We need a new practice place. And new times as well. We can't keep falling asleep in class." Rachel said that night.  
  
I smiled, "you mean Sirius can't keep falling asleep in class."  
  
"Yeah, something like that."  
  
I shrugged, "we've been working to hard anyway. How about we only practice every second night?"  
  
"Sounds good," Rachel turned to Sirius, "what do you think?"   
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
"Now we just need a new place to practice," I said, absently making a small telescope rise.  
  
Sirius looked thoughtful "I know," he said, "how about that cave I took you to Blue. The one in Hogsmead."  
  
Rachel looked confused, "how are we going to get to Hogsmead?"  
  
Sirius grinned, "I have my ways."  
  
I shrugged, "the cave sounds like a good place. But we won't be able to go as often. I mean, it's a pretty long walk."  
  
"We can still use the tower sometimes," said Rachel, "just not all the time. I think the cave sounds like a good spot."  
  
We were all set.   
  
  
There was another gift waiting for me back at my dorm. A love heart pendent to put on a necklace.  
  
"Oh, you're so lucky," said Ellie happily.   
  
"I wonder who he is," I said, gazing at the pendent.  
  
"He must be in Gryffindor," Jessie commented, "how else would they get the gifts up here?"  
  
"I wish I had a secret admirer," sighed Lily. Flopping back onto her bed.  
  
"You don't need one, you've got James," teased Hannah.  
  
Lily through a pillow at her and we all went to bed.  
  
  
_"He's a cute one." She smiled at the baby, who grinned up at her cheekily.  
  
"Isn't he?" He grinned happily at his son.  
  
"He seems far to happy to be named Sirius."  
  
"His name will come in handy one day," he paused. "I want to see him grow up. I don't want to die. I'm going into hiding."   
  
She nodded, "I had a feeling you might. I have no idea what I'm going to do, I'm not brave enough to go into hiding. But I've been thinking, what if my child is one of us? What will I do then?"  
  
"I don't know. But I don't know many things these days."_


	3. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: What J.K.Rowling owns, I do not.

Chapter twenty one

Under the Cloak

Summery: Lia wonders what her dreams mean and she is left more gifts. Also, somedody discovers what she is...

=====================================================

Dear Lily,  
  
I'm am worried about Lia. Is it just me or is she beginning to loose her sanity? I think you should take her to the nurse or something. Or perhaps you should just issue her a hard whack to the head?  
  
Luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
I showed everybody my new teddy bear at breakfast.  
  
"Oh he's so cute!" Cried Jessie stroking his soft fur.  
  
"Isn't he?" I smiled, "I found him outside our door."  
  
Lily cocked her head, "really? He wasn't there when we left for breakfast. And you were only about five minutes after us."  
  
"It's probably from Snape," Sirius said.  
  
"How would Severus Snape get into Gryffindor tower?" Demanded Ellie, "I do believe you're just jealous Sirius Black."  
  
Peter laughed, "ol' padfoot's been replaced."  
  
Sirius shoved Peter, "hard to be replaced when I wasn't going out with her in the first place."  
  
"What are you going to name him?" Lily asked me, avoiding any fights.  
  
I thought for a moment then grinned, "I'll call him Padfoot."  
  
The immature wolf whistled would have gone on for longer, but D'Arcy was shooting daggers in our direction. He looked like he was about to make his way towards us, so we quickly went to defense against the dark arts.  
  
  
  
"See if you can lift that chair."  
  
"What if someone walks in?"  
  
"Blame it on Peeves. It's one o'clock in the morning, who's going to walk in?"  
  
He did have a point, but I still didn't feel safe practicing in the common room.  
  
"Why don't we just go to the tower like normal?"  
  
"Because the seventh years are there remember? And you don't want to walk all the way to Hogsmead do you?"  
  
I sighed and focused on an armchair by the fire. It lifted a few feet, dropped a little, then lifted up again.  
  
"Move it to the left." Sirius commanded.  
  
I moved it slightly to the left.  
  
"Now to the right."  
  
I did so.  
  
"Ok, now put it down, without breaking it."  
  
I bit my lip and tried to lower the chair slowly. I sort of succeeded, the chair fell quickly, but didn't break.  
  
"You're getting better," Sirius said encouragingly.  
  
I sighed and sat back. "Sirius?"  
  
"Hmmmm?"  
  
"I've been meaning to ask you, can Sabi's predict the future? Or see the past?"  
  
"I don't know. You should be asking Rachel not me. Why?"  
  
"Well, I've been having these dreams. There are always these two people talking, a man and a woman. The first time I had it I could hardly remember it, but I had it again the other night. It was different from the first one, but it was the same people."  
  
"Do you remember what they say?"  
  
"Not really. There was a baby in the second one though."  
  
Sirius shrugged. "I don't know what it means. I'd try asking Rachel."  
  
I nodded, "yeah, I will tomorrow."  
  
He suddenly grinned, "have you seen her yet today?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"She wants you to start on some of your different powers. Like melting rocks and stuff."  
  
I groaned, "I swear she was a slave driver in her past life."  
  
"Cheer up Blue. Look, seems you have to try something new tomorrow, er, today and because Rachel isn't here, let's just go to bed."  
  
I smiled, "best idea you've had all night. Maybe you white fellas aren't so dumb."  
  
Sirius laughed and helped me stand up. "You sound like Clar," he put on a higher voice, "oi! White fella, come get some a dis tucker into ya."  
  
I snickered, "you sound just like her."  
  
I walked happily up to room and fell asleep instantly.  
  
  
"I miss Vegimite." I said at breakfast the next morning.  
  
Lily looked amazed, "you actually miss that stuff?"  
  
I shrugged, "it tastes better than jam."  
  
Sirius wrinkled his nose, "no way. Peanut butter tastes better than jam. Vegimite tastes better than nothing, except for maybe dragon eye boogies."  
  
I smiled at Sirius, "if Tahnee heard you say that she'd kill you."  
  
"Ellie, what's wrong?" Lily asked Ellie suddenly.  
  
Ellie shrugged, "nothing."  
  
"You look like you just found that out we have potions all day every day." James said, shuddering at the thought.  
  
Ellie looked at me, "come for a walk with me Lia."  
  
I looked at my watch, "now? We have Charms on ten minutes."  
  
"Won't take long. Come on."  
  
  
I followed her out of the great hall, she pulled me into an empty class room, looking very serious.  
  
"What's up?" I asked, getting worried.  
  
Ellie sighed, "well, lately, we've all been wondering were you get to every night. And I spoke to Remus and he said Sirius goes missing at night now too. So we, me and Remus that is, decided to follow you last night."  
  
My guts turned to ice, "oh, did you? Uh, what did you see?"  
  
"I met Remus in the hall, we got under James's invisibility cloak and followed you to the common room. We saw everything."  
  
I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. "So, you know."  
  
She nodded, "yeah, we do. Why didn't you tell us Lia? Aren't we your friends?"  
  
I searched the roof desperately for an answer. "I didn't want you to get hurt."  
  
"You told Sirius. And a Rachel. Is the Rachel, Rachel Sloan?"  
  
I nodded, "yes." I sighed, "I only told them because I had to tell someone! I couldn't do it alone. I told Rachel because she knows a lot about Sabi's and I told Sirius because..." I paused, I didn't really want to tell her why I told Sirius. "Because he saw me practicing like you and Remus," I lied.  
  
Ellie looked at me as if she was studying a strange new animal. "So, you're the last Sabi. How long have you known for?"  
  
"Only since Christmas." I paused, "you and Remus haven't told anyone have you?"  
  
She shook her head, "no, we figured we'd better talk to you first." She grinned, "so what can you do?"  
  
I smiled, "not much yet, but I'm learning. I can lift things with my mind and my blood has healing powers. I can protect people I love and I can make people immortal. I can other things, but I haven't learnt how yet."  
  
"Cool," she thought for a moment, "though I suppose you-know-who would kill to find you?"  
  
I nodded, "that's why you have to forget you saw me. You're in danger as it is."  
  
To my surprise she laughed, "sorry Lia, no can do. Remus and I are involved now. You're stuck with us."  
  
I could tell there was no point in arguing.

Chapter twenty two

Solving the Past

Summery: Lia remembers her dreams and there's yet another gift.

======================================================

Dear Tahnee,  
  
thanks to you I now have a large bruise on my head. (Lily hit me.) And I am not insane. I really don't know my boyfriends name. Though he's not really my boyfriend. He's a secret admirer. So there.  
  
Luv Lia.  
  
PS Sirius insulted Vegimite...  
  
  
I nabbed Sirius as he was walking to Arithmacy.  
  
"What?" He asked when I pulled him down a deserted passage.  
  
"Remus and Ellie followed us last night. They know what I am."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah, oh. They haven't told anyone, and there not going to. But they want to help."  
  
Sirius ran his fingers through his hair, "they can't! It's too dangerous!"  
  
"You try telling that to Ellie."  
  
He sighed, "fair enough. Do they know about my dad?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, that's god I suppose."  
  
"I'll talk to Rachel in study of ancient runes. See you at lunch ok?"  
  
"Yeah, ok."  
  
  
And so our numbers rose to five. It was a few days before I got around to asking Rachel about my dreams. I did so when Sirius, Remus and Ellie were with us.  
  
She thought about it for a few minutes, "can you remember anything they say? Or what they look like? Can you remember anything at all?"  
  
I struggled to remember. "The woman's pregnant I think. And the baby in my second dream, I think it was the mans new born son."  
  
"Were they together, or husband and wife?"  
  
I shook my head, "no, I don't think so."  
  
Rachel's brow was creased in thought. "I don't think Sabi's can predict the future. At least, I've never heard of it happening. It would help if you could remember exactly what happened."   
  
"I remember when you had the first one," Ellie said, "you were crying."  
  
"Because the woman was crying," I said, suddenly remembering.  
  
"Why was she crying?" Sirius asked me.  
  
"I don't know. But She wiped the tears away, because she heard someone coming. She thought it was someone coming to hurt her. She was expecting someone to hurt her."  
  
Rachel nodded encouragingly, "good, good. What else?"  
  
I bit my lip. "It was the man, he sat down next to her. She congratulated him, because..."  
  
"Because why?" Remus, like Rachel, Ellie and Sirius, were waiting for me to finish the sentence.  
  
"Ummm, oh! because he'd just become a father. Someone, his wife I think, just had a baby boy."  
  
"Oh, cute. What was his name?" Ellie asked.  
  
"I don't know, I can't remember it. But I know it was familiar."  
  
"What happened then?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I don't know, that's all I can remember."  
  
"Well, it's something," Rachel said smiling, "if you remember anything else, be sure to write it down or tell us before you forget."  
  
I nodded, "I will. But now I'm going to be. All this remembering has given me a head ache. Thank god tomorrow's a Saturday."  
  
  
"Look!" Cried Ellie when we entered the room.  
  
I looked, on my bed was a bright red feather. A phoenix feather.  
  
"Wow." I picked it up, it glowed softly and felt warm.  
  
"Must be another gift from your secret admirer," Ellie said jealously, "phoenix feathers are rather rare. They're supposed to make you feel happier if you're sad."  
  
I smiled and placed the feather next to the rose on my bedside table, "I wish I knew who he was though."  
  
Ellie sighed happily, "you'll find out when he's ready I suppose. Sweet dreams."  
  
_  
"It's all worked out, I go into hiding in three weeks."  
  
She smiled sadly, "I'll miss you. You've been a good friend to me."  
  
He sighed, "if only we could have been more."  
  
"It wasn't meant to be, you know that. You love Diana."  
  
"I know I do, she gave me Sirius didn't she? But I love you as well. Ever since we first met."  
  
She managed a small laugh, "we met when we were five. I hardly think you loved me then."  
  
"I did!" He insisted, "but by the time I'd worked up the courage to tell you, you were already with Nick." He sighed again, "you're right. I guess it wasn't meant to be."  
  
"I love you too you know," she was crying softly now. "If only we had longer, but time is short. I know what I am going to do."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When my child is born, it's due any day now, even if it's one of us, I'll send it to Kath, my sister, and I'll join the others."  
  
He gasped, "you don't mean..."  
  
"Yes, I'll kill myself."  
  
He was crying now too, "you are braver than I. But you always have been. Perhaps one day our children will meet."  
  
"Kath lives in Australia. You live in England. I doubt they will."  
  
He kissed her softly on the cheek, "you never know. It's a small world. I'll visit you again before I go. Contact me if your child is born."  
  
"I will."  
  
_  
By lunch time the next day Ellie, Remus, Sirius, Rachel and I were at the cave in Hogsmead.  
  
"Why'd you tell us to meet you here?" Sirius asked chewing on a chocolate frog.  
  
"I had another dream last night."  
  
Rachel sat forward eagerly, "really? Do you remember it?"  
  
"No, not really," I lied "but I remember more of the others."  
  
"Well, come on then, tell us," Remus said, smiling. "They're starting to get interesting."  
  
I took a deep breath. "I'll start were I left off last night. I remember the woman asks the man if his son is 'one of them.'"  
  
"One of what?" Ellie asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I think the man and the woman are Sabi's."  
  
Rachel nodded, "that'd make sense. That's most likely why you're dreaming about them."  
  
I went on, "the woman is relieved when the man says no. She's bitter because in the past another one of them being born would have been a good thing."  
  
Remus nodded this time. "This must take place just before the Sabi's killed themselves. When you-know-who was tracking them down. It explains a lot of things."  
  
I flicked at the rocks on the ground, "I think you're right. The man is sad, because he wants to see his son grow up, he doesn't want to die. And the woman is scared that her child will be a Sabi. That's about when I woke up."  
  
I was skirting around the important issue. I didn't want to tell my friends what else I had remembered, in case they came to the same conclusion I had. But from the look of Sirius' face he'd already realized.  
  
"The baby," he said slowly, "his name is Sirius isn't it?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
Remus and Ellie looked confused. "What, do you think you're the baby?" Asked Remus, "but your dad wasn't... Was he?"  
  
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, my dad was a Sabi."  
  
Ellie gasped.  
  
Rachel looked grim, "that must mean. Lia, you're dreaming about Sirius's dad."  
  
"But then who's the woman?" Remus asked.  
  
I felt like crying. "The woman is my mother."  


Chapter twenty three

Fate

Summery: More dreams, more gifts and a tad of romance.

=====================================================

"She remembers my lord. She's is remembering more every day."  
  
"How can this be!"  
  
"I do not know my lord. We did not plan on this happening."  
  
"You will be punished for allowing this."  
  
"Please my lord. No please, have mercy!"  
  
"Crucio."  
  
  
The cave was filled with silence for a whole three minutes. And let's face it, with Sirius around, that's a world record. But Sirius didn't look as if he had any intention of talking. Though I suppose you can't blame him. I had just told him I was dreaming about his dead father after all.  
  
"How do you know it's your mother?" Ellie asked finally, "or Sirius' father."  
  
I fought back tears. "It's the second dream. And the third. I remember them vividly."  
  
"Can you tell us what happened?" Rachel asked me softly.  
  
I cast a glance at Sirius. He nodded, "go on. I want to hear this as well."  
  
I sighed, "in the second dream they're at a hospital looking at a baby. The woman says he seems far to happy to be name Sirius. The man laughs and says the name will come in handy, then he says he says he has decided that he is going into hiding. The woman is still unsure of what to do. She can't make any real plans until her child is born."  
  
I paused before I described the third dream. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" I asked Sirius.   
  
He nodded, "yes, I am. Go on."  
  
"In the third they are talking again. The man has decided that he will go into hiding in three weeks. The woman has decided that once her child is born, even if it's a Sabi she'll send it to live with her sister Kath in Australia and she'll kill herself."  
  
I paused again, "there is more." I said, "but I think I should tell Sirius about it first before I tell you guys."  
  
Rachel smiled, "that's ok."  
  
Remus sighed, "we should be getting back, the others will miss us."  
  
We walked silently back to Hogwarts.  
  
  
Sirius and I didn't go with Ellie and Remus back to the common room. We went and sat by the lake.   
  
"What else happened?" He asked me.  
  
I told him about the remainder of my dream and by the time I had finished I was crying.  
  
Sirius smiled sadly, "whenever I saw my dad," he said, "he used to tell me stories of this lady he used to know. They had grown up together and I knew he missed her terribly. I often wondered if he loved her. Now I know."  
  
"But my mum was wrong wasn't she?" I said, cheering up slightly, "we did meet, you and I."   
  
Sirius chuckled softly, "yeah. I guess fate was kinder on us."  
  
"I guess it was."  
  
  
"Hey, can you guys keep a secret?" Lily asked when we were in bed.  
  
We all assured her we could.  
  
"I think I like James." She whispered.  
  
Jessie laughed, "well that's a surprise. Of course you like James, and he likes you."  
  
Lily looked hopeful "you think so?"  
  
We nodded.  
  
"While we're confessing our crushes," Ellie said, "I'll tell you I like."  
  
We all leaned forward. I was happy for a diversion from the days events. "Who?"  
  
She paused dramatically, "Remus."  
  
Everybody giggled and told Ellie that her and Remus were perfect for each other. I couldn't help but wonder what she'd do if she knew that Remus was a werewolf.  
  
Hannah grinned, "I like Josh Benson, that Ravenclaw prefect."  
  
Jessie smirked, "I like Severus Snape."  
  
We goggled at her.  
  
"Just kidding. I don't like anyone right now."  
  
Lily hit her, "you had me worried! Severus Snape! Yuck."  
  
"How 'bout you Lia," Hannah asked, "who do you like?"  
  
I thought about that afternoon at the lake with Sirius.   
  
"I don't like anybody."  
  
Ellie laughed, "not even a certain Mr. Black?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Desperate to change the subject I showed them my phoenix feather.   
  
Hours later, when I finally lay down to sleep my thoughts drifted. Did I like a certain Mr. Black? I had to wonder if the answer was still no.  
  
  
I fell asleep thinking about Sirius and I woke thinking about Sirius. I probably would have gone on thinking about Sirius but at the foot of my bed was a box.  
  
"Open it!" Cried Hannah when I pointed it out to my friends.  
  
I was more than happy to oblige. I took the lid of the box and gasped. Inside was a delicate pink shell.  
  
"Wow, that's pretty." Whispered Lily, touching it.  
  
"I wonder who's sending you these things."  
  
I shrugged, "it's a mystery. Come on, let's go to breakfast."  
  
  
"Did you have sweet dreams Blue?" Sirius asked me when I reached the great hall. I knew what he was really asking.  
  
"I didn't dream at all."  
  
Sirius helped himself to more toast. "I did, I dreamed of a beautiful princess named Lia who lived on a castle in the clouds."  
  
James rolled his eyes.   
  
I smiled, "I don't think I'd like to live on a castle in the clouds. I'm not that fond of hights."  
  
Sirius laughed and went back to eating.   
  
See, I told myself, this is Sirius. Your friend. You like him as a friend that's all. Forget about him.  
  
But it was no use trying to forget about him. Sirius had set up camp in my brain and wasn't planning on going any time soon.  
  
  
The day passed quietly and quickly, soon it was nightfall and I found myself in the astronomy tower trying to make the damn chair land softly.  
  
"You're letting your concentration go too early." Rachel told me as Ellie fixed yet another broken chair. "You have stay focused until it's on the ground."  
  
I rubbed my eyes, "I'd like to see you try it. It's hard enough getting it up there."  
  
"I'm glad my dad wasn't as bad as you he used to lift me up," Sirius said smiling.  
  
I poked my tongue out at him.  
  
"Don't listen to him," Rachel said, "you're learning faster than I thought you would."  
  
Remus laughed, "you'll make a good professor one day Rach."  
  
Rachel smiled then said, "I've been thinking about your dreams Lia."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"They must mean something. You can't just be remembering the past for no reason."  
  
"I know that, but why am I having them then?" I asked.  
  
Ellie shrugged, "hopefully you'll have some more, that'll help us figure them out."  
  
I sighed, "I don't want to have any more. They're freaking me out. Dreaming of dead people is not my idea of a good time."  
  
Sirius smiled, "I'm not dead and I make a guest appearance."  
  
I laughed, "maybe that's why they're freaking me out. Dreaming of you can't be too healthy."  
  
Sirius emptied a box of star charts on me and we went back to practice.  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
a secret admirer? You lucky thing. What has he sent you so far? Do you have any idea who he is? (I'm betting it's Sirius) We thought for a while at the beginning of the year that Fiona had a secret admirer, but it turned out she was sending the gifts to herself. Clar sends her love and she sends Sirius something foul and disgusting. Write back ASAP, as I am bored.  
  
Love and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
PS: Sirius dared to insult vegimite? Hit him for me. Really hard.

Chapter twenty-four

Chocolate

Summery: Potions to be made, chocolate to be eaten, my aren't the gang going to be busy?

=====================================================

Dear Tahnee,  
  
Beat up Sirius? But how could I hurt my one true love? Am joking of course. No idea who is leaving gifts. So far, have received:   
enchanted rose   
heart pendent  
pink shell  
teddy bear (named Padfoot. Don't ask)  
phoenix feather  
gemstone  
All nice things. Would be nicer if knew who sent them. Am writing in note form. Do not know why. Perhaps need to sleep?  
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
Lily, Hannah, Ellie and Jessie crowded around to have a look at my newest surprise, a smooth greeny blue gemstone.   
  
"Maybe it's Peter," Lily said thoughtfully, "he seems like he'd be too shy to leave his name."  
  
Hannah wrinkled her nose, "Peter? Ew. Besides he doesn't have the mind to 

send such nice things."  
  
Lily shrugged, "it was only an idea. Who else could it be?"  
  
Jessie grinned, "I still say it's Sirius."  
  
I yawned, "and maybe it's you-know-who. We'll never guess, I'll just have to wait for him to show himself."  
  
Hannah suddenly look very somber, "we shouldn't joke about you-know-who, I heard that last week he killed a family of muggles for no reason."  
  
Jessie glared at her hands, "I hate him. I wish he was dead."  
  
"I think everyone does, unless they're evil," Ellie said gently. "Let's not talk about him, we'll only depress ourselves."  
  
I nodded, "you're right. Now, if you all would get off my bed, I'm going to sleep."  
  
_  
"I came as soon as I heard."  
  
She smiled up at her visitor, "she's sleeping now, but I'll bet she'll be awake soon."  
  
"She looks like you," he said, looking at the peacefully sleeping child. "What's her name?"  
  
"Lia." She sighed, "she's one of us."  
  
"Oh no. Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Oh, what am I going to do?"  
  
"You can't tell anybody else what she is. Let her be raised like a normal witch."  
  
She shook her head, "I can't do that! I've been thinking about-"  
  
"The prophecy?"  
  
"Yes, what if it's true?"  
  
He held the her close, "then do what you know is best."  
  
"Will you help me?"  
  
"Yes, of course."_  
  
  
"Ellie!" I shook her.  
  
"Mmmm?"  
  
"I had another dream."  
  
She sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Really? Do you remember it?"  
  
I nodded.   
  
"Do you want me to go wake the guys up?"  
  
"No, it'd be best to wait until Rachel is with us."  
  
She nodded, "yeah, you're right. We'll meet after classes the."  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
  
After I finished describing my newest dream we sat in thoughtful silence.  
  
"What prophecy?" Remus finally asked.  
  
I shrugged, "no idea.  
  
Remus looked vaguely annoyed, "these dreams are getting more and more confusing. Instead of our questions getting answered, more just arise."  
  
I sighed, "don't you think I know that?"  
  
"I think you should just forget them," Ellie said calmly, "they could mean anything."  
  
Sirius, who had been sitting in unusual silence, looked up, "but they could mean something. Don't who see, you-know-who would do anything to get his hands on Lia. Anything! These dreams could be warnings for all we know."  
  
"Look," Rachel said, "let's not fight. I've been thinking about you-know-who as well and Ii think we should start helping Lia learn defense."  
  
"Defense?" Remus said slowly, trying the word out, "like what?"  
  
Rachel shrugged, "well, her blood makes people immortal right? But there are things Lia can do to cause side effects."  
  
They were carrying on the conversation as if I wasn't there. I considered getting up and walking off, would they even notice?  
  
"Side effects?" Asked Ellie, "what do you mean?"  
  
"Well," explained Rachel, "when a person forces Lia to make them immortal, she can't really refuse. But she can make it so there are side effects. The effects are different for every person."  
  
"Her blood won't always make people immortal," Sirius said, "just sometimes. Though it will always make the person near on invincible."  
  
Rachel nodded, "yeah, sometimes immortal. If this works, Lia will be able to choose who becomes immortal and who becomes near on invincible."  
  
"That could be handy," Remus said, "how does it work."  
  
At this Rachel look slightly worried, "it's not something she can learn. It has to be done using a potion. A very difficult potion."  
  
Ellie looked anxious, but Remus as Sirius relaxed. After all, they'd had experience with difficult potions.  
  
"Do I get a say in this yet?" I asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
Rachel smiled, "whoops, forgot about you. Of course you get a say."  
  
I thought quickly for a question, "what sort of things are in the potion?"  
  
"A lot of muggle ingredients," Rachel said, "unicorn tail hair, serpent venom, oh what else?"   
  
We waited for Rachel to remember, I was feeling more and more beated.   
  
"Oh!" Rachel remembered, "there's ordels snare and, probably the easiest, tristifico flower."  
  
"That's the easiest?" Now even Sirius looked nervous, "you do realize that tristifico flower only grows under cliff ledges don't you?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"That's what I was afraid of."  
  
  
"He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not."  
  
I laid by the lake absently plucking at the flower petals.   
  
"Flower petals? My, my, do we have a crush? Who is it?" A voice asked as I plucked the last petal. I looked up at Sirius and wondered what he'd say if I replied 'you, I think.'  
  
I shrugged, "nobody really. I'm just bored."  
  
"Ah."  
  
We sat in silence for a while. I tried to see were the ripples went with little successes.  
  
"Do you miss your dad?" I asked Sirius.  
  
He nodded, "Yeah. Though I didn't really get to see him that often, because he was in hiding and all. Sometimes I really hate him, but most of the time I miss him. "  
  
I sighed, "I never used to miss my mum. Because I thought she wasn't worth it. But now, through these dreams, it's like I've gotten to know her."  
  
"So you're starting to miss her?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He smile glimmered across his lips, "well, you'd better get used to it. Because it doesn't get any easier."  
  
"Gee, wonderful."  
  
"Let's go get some food."  
  
"Chocolate. It has to be chocolate."  
  
He grinned and pulled me to my feet. "Ok Miss Strummings, chocolate it is."

Chapter twenty five

Tandem Coadunatio

Summery: Romance in Hogsmeade!

=====================================================

"We can not stop her from remembering my lord."  
  
"This does not please me."  
  
"But the training is going very well! The spies are keeping us up to date, and we doubt that the memories will harm our plan-"  
  
"Fool! This is the work of her mother! If she remembers everything, the plan will be ruined!"  
  
"I am sorry my lord, I-"  
  
"Silence! We must distract her from the dreams."  
  
"How my lord?"  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
I still think Sirius is sending you all the stuff. And I know you say you don't like him, but I know you far to well my dear. You know you like him, you're just to scared to admit it. So there, that'll be ten galleons that you very much. I'm going to sign off now, before you curse me.  
  
Love and Sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
"Were have you two been?" Lily asked when Sirius and I climbed through the portrait hole after our chocolate spree.  
  
"Eating." I told her.  
  
"Eating?"  
  
"Yup," Sirius grinned at her, "we've consumed enough chocolate to last a lifetime."  
  
"Two lifetimes even," I added, flopping down onto a chair.  
  
Lily laughed, "eating chocolate. Well at least you gave an excuse other then 'we've been around' this time."  
  
I smiled at her, "only the best for you Lils."  
  
"Remus and Ellie have started to disappear with you two now as well. Were do you all go?"  
  
Sirius grinned, "around."  
  
Lily tossed a pillow at him.  
  
  
The next Hosgmead visit was scheduled for that weekend, much to the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh years delight.  
  
"Were should we go?" Lily asked as we stepped off of the carriages that took us to Hogsmead  
  
"Zonkos?" Asked Peter.  
  
"The three broomsticks?" Suggested Remus.  
  
"Honeydukes?" This was Lily.  
  
"The moon?" We stared at Sirius, who shrugged.  
  
In the end we all went separate ways, as we all wanted to see different things. Sirius decided he was going to take me on a tour of Hogsmead, as I hadn't seen all that much of it on my last visit.  
  
"That's the shrieking shack," he said pointing out the rambley building. "The villagers all think it's haunted, but you and I know different."  
  
"What does it look like from the inside?" I asked Sirius.  
  
"Even worse than the outside."  
  
Sirius sat o the grassy ground and gestured for me to sit next to him.  
  
"What's up?" I asked.  
  
Sirius picked at the ground, "I have a confession to make."  
  
"Was it you who put a frog in D'Arcys pumpkin juice?"  
  
"Yes, but that's not what I was going to say."  
  
"Oh, what?"  
  
He sighed, "well, I know who has been sending you all that stuff."  
  
I stopped shredding a brown leaf and looked at Sirius, "really? Who?"  
  
"Uh well, it was me."  
  
"Really?" I paused, unsure of what to say, "I hate it when Tahnee is right."  
  
Sirius half smiled, "Remus had to help me out bit. Believe it or not I'm hopeless when it comes to stuff like this."  
  
I laughed, "the Sirius Black, not sure of how to handle a girl? That can't be right."  
  
"I confess. Just don't tell anyone ok?"  
  
I smirked, "don't tell anybody you didn't know what to do or don't tell anybody that you like me?"  
  
Sirius had a cat got the cream look on his face, "I didn't say that I liked you."  
  
"That's a pity, because I like you."  
  
He lost the cat got the creaminess, "really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Oh. I like you too."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
And he kissed me.  
  
Now I could lie here, and say it was something straight out of a Mills & Boon. I could say my knees turned to jelly, my head started spinning, that the skies opened and the angels sang hallelujah. Truthfully, none of the above happened, but it was very nice all the same.  
  
When we broke apart Sirius grinned sheepishly, "James'll have a field day with this." He said.  
  
"Probably."  
  
"But it was worth it."  
  
"It was defiantly worth it."  


*Title roughly translates to, 'finally together.'

Chapter twenty six

The Menoris Charm

Summery: Lia finds out why she is having the dreams. And our favourite gang of Sabiers (?) get busted.

======================================================

Dear Tahnee,  
  
I know you're going to say it, so I'll save you the trouble. You told me so.  
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
"What's up with you?" Lily asked me as we made our way towards the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Yeah," added Jessie, "you've been grinning like a Cheshire cat since Hogsmead."  
  
I attempted to stop smiling and failed miserably. "I'm just happy, that's all."  
  
Hannah raised an eyebrow, and this sudden happiness wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Mr. Black would it?"  
  
I shrugged, "whatever."  
  
"Oh," said Ellie when we entered our dorm, "no more gifts."  
  
I grinned even wider, "I won't be getting any more."  
  
"Why not?" Asked Lily, looking confused.  
  
"I know who's been sending them."  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Hannah pushed me down onto my bed, "who?"  
  
I shrugged casually, "oh that doesn't really matter does it?" I pushed Hannah off my bed and closed the curtain, "g'night all."  
  
"Don't you go to sleep Lia!" Warned Lily, so of course I did.  
  
  
_"I'm making sure Kath sends her to Hogwarts when she's fifteen."  
  
He looked up and smiled, "really? Maybe she will meet Sirius then."  
  
"I hope so," she said, smiling wistfully, "and if he's anything like you then I have no need to worry about her."  
  
"I do not doubt that Sirius could take you-know-who single handed, but we still need more protection."  
  
She nodded, "I know that. I'm going to put a Menoris charm on her."  
  
She thought about this, "that's complicated magic, are you sure you can pull it off? Are you sure you want to?"  
  
"Yes," she replied forcefully, "I have never been more sure of anything. And I want you to do the charm with me."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Only you and I know the truth, it has to be you. Lia has to know. Don't you see that?"  
  
Yes, I do. Oh god, I hope you know what you're doing."  
  
_  
"Sirius?"  
  
"Mmmwha?"  
  
"Sirius! Wake up!" I shoved him.  
  
He opened his eyes and smiled slightly, "oh, hello."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"ten past one."  
  
"Then you'd better have a good reason for waking me up."  
  
"I had another dream."  
  
"Oh, well, I suppose that's a good reason."  
  
"C'mon, we need to go to the library."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'll explain on the way."  
  
  
So, ten minutes later we were on our way to the library under James' invisibility cloak, which Sirius had 'borrowed.'  
  
"So," I said after explaining the dream, "ever heard of a Menoris charm before?"  
  
"Nope, but I should be able to find some info on it."  
  
I smiled, "you really are the perfect protector aren't you?"  
  
He kissed me on my forehead, "of course. I could take you-know-who single handed I could."  
  
We crept quietly into the library so not to wake the restricted books and got to work.   
  
"The complete alphabetical guide to charms," whispered Sirius holding a ridiculously large book, "there should be something on this hey?"  
  
He opened the musty pages and we started to flick through it.  
  
"There it is," I said pointing, "the Menoris charm."  
  
Sirius read the small paragraph aloud, "the Menoris charm is a very difficult charm using old magic. Normally, it is performed by two people and, if successful, will plant memories about the two castors in a third person (usually a baby or small child's) mind. The memories will be triggered at a certain time set by the casters of the charm. If used in conjunction with the futorinus charm, the third party will also eventually be able to see small chosen portions of the future.  
  
I thought for a moment, "well, that explains a lot."  
  
"Yeah," Sirius closed the book, "I suppose that's why you're remembering our parents. I wonder if they used the futorinus charm as well?"  
  
"Well, it says eventually doesn't it? So they could have, and I wouldn't know yet."  
  
"I wonder what I have to know."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"My mother said, she has to know. Has to know what?"  
  
"That you're a Sabi?"  
  
"Maybe. I don't know, I guess we'll just have to wait."  
  
"Not for too long I hope."  
  
I wondered if he was still talking about dreams.  
  
  
I got back to the dorm at six and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I don't think I have to tell you how unimpressed I was about Lily and Hannah waking me only an hour later.   
  
"You have to tell us now!" Lily said as she jumped on my pillow.  
  
"Yell you what, oh go away!"  
  
"Not until you tell us," Hannah said, "you was sending you all that stuff."  
  
Ellie and Jessie sat up and watched on with interest.  
  
I moaned and shielded my eyes from the sunlight filtering in through the window. "I f I tell you will you let me go back to sleep?"  
  
"Been up all night again I suspect," muttered Jessie.  
  
Lily and Hannah nodded, "but you have to tell us."  
  
"It was Sirius, can I go to sleep now?"  
  
I soon realized that a had a fly at a frog conventions chance of getting more sleep, as instead of leaving me, Ellie and Jessie also jumped on my bed.  
  
"Go away!" I groaned.  
  
"It was Sirius?" Cried Jessie, "oh wow! What happened?"  
  
I sat up, grabbed another blanket from my chest and proceeded to tell them what happened at Hogsmead.  
  
Lily sighed happily when I finished, "it took you two long enough." She paused then added, "it's a pity you couldn't have waited another week, now I owe Remus and James two galleons."  
  
"You betted on my love life?"  
  
Lily laughed, "of course."  
  
"In that case," I turned to Ellie, "I bet you two galleons that Lily and James will be together before the end of this term."  
  
Lily went red and stalked off to breakfast.  
  
  
It took a good hour that night to fill Remus, Rachel and Ellie in on my dream and the Menoris charm.  
  
"I suspected it was a charm of some sort," Rachel said when I was done, "though I never even gave the Menoris charm a thought."  
  
"Is there any way to break the charm, so you'd stop remembering?" Ellie asked.  
  
Rachel and I shrugged.  
  
"I don't think so," said Rachel, "if there was I'm sure you-know-who would try it."  
  
"Why?" Remus asked.  
  
"Lia's mother must have set the charm for a reason, probably to warn her about something." She shrugged, "and if she did a futorinus charm as well you-know-who wouldn't want her seeing the future would he?"  
  
"No," said Ellie, "I guess not."  
  
Our talk came to a sudden halt when the door to the astronomy tower swung open and professor McGonagal stalked inside.

Chapter twenty seven

Soap Suds and Sponges

Summery: Has Lia given her self away to McGonagal? Why are Lia and Sirius so afraid of commitment? Will these questions ever be answered?

=====================================================

"Is she still remembering?"  
  
"Yes, but we are working on it my lord."  
  
"Well hurry, my patience is growing thin."  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
I told you so? Huh? Your last letter made little sense, so could you please write back and elaborate?  
  
Luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
I don't think I've ever seen professor McGonagal more angry. Not even when James accidentally on purpose transfigured Snape into a horned toad.   
  
Sirius had to make things even worse by asked in a peeved voice, "what are you doing here?"  
  
The professor glared at us, "what am I doing here Mr. Black? I was just about to ask you the very same thing!"  
  
"We were star gazing," Rachel said in an even voice, "Ellie and Lia have been a little behind in their astronomy lessons so Remus, Sirius and I thought we'd help them out."  
  
Remus nodded knowingly, "we're really very sorry for being up so late Professor, but it's just that it's not very often you see Venus in such a good position," he waved his hand at what I supposed was Venus.  
  
She obviously didn't believe them, though I didn't see how she couldn't, they were very good liars.  
  
"Detention," she snapped, "all of you. And thirty points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."  
  
  
We got our detention slips the next morning at breakfast. We had to polish the glass ceiling of the astronomy tower the muggle way on broomsticks.   
  
Ellie groaned, "this sounds like fun."  
  
"What did you do?" James asked, "you'd better not have pulled a prank with me and Wormtail you two," he glared at Sirius and Remus suspiciously.  
  
Remus shook his head, "no, of course not, besides, we couldn't take Ellie on a pranking run, she'd be hopeless."  
  
Ellie flicked porridge at him, "hey!"  
  
"Well it's true!"  
  
"But," Peter said, interrupting their fight, "why'd you get a detention if you weren't pulling pranks?"  
  
"She found us wondering the halls at about one o'clock," I told him.  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow, "wondering the halls? Is that your latest excuse?"  
  
Remus grinned, "would you like to wonder with us, oh Lily dear?"  
  
She laughed, "and join your little business? But of course."  
  
"Since when have we been a business?" Ellie asked, "I hardly call five teenagers a business."  
  
"Five?" Peter appeared to be counting us. "There's only four of you."  
  
"You sure?" I asked him.  
  
He counted us again, "yes."  
  
Sirius nodded, "that's very observant of you Peter. And you are right, there is only four of us, Ellie was just mixed up."  
  
"See why you can't take her pranking?" I heard Remus mutter, so Ellie dumped her porridge over his head.  
  
  
"Gah," Rachel said wrinkling her nose at the brooms. "I hate hights."  
  
Sirius grinned like the overgrown dog he was, "c'mon Rach, hights are fun!"  
  
"Even when you have to be polishing great big dirty windows?" Asked Ellie picked up a bucket of soapy water and a sponge.  
  
Sirius shrugged, "just concentrate on the danger my dear. That'll keep it interesting."  
  
"Gah," repeated Rachel. I had to agree.  
  
Remus picked up another bucket and handed one to Ellie, "let's get this over with."  
  
I eyed the brooms warily, then had an idea...  
  
  
"This is unfair you know Lia!" Ellie called from above me, she rinsed her sponge and kept polishing.  
  
"I don't think it is," I said happily, "after all, it's only fair that my stupid powers should come to some use."  
  
Unlike Sirius, Ellie, Remus and Rachel, who were sitting awkwardly on their brooms trying to polish the glass, I was quite comfortable on solid ground simply using my mind to make the sponge scrub the windows.  
  
"Are we nearly done?" Rachel asked, wiping her sweaty brow.  
  
Remus studied the ceiling, "nearly."  
  
"Good," I called up to them, "my brains getting sleepy."  
  
"Stop complaining you," Sirius answered, splashing most of his soapy water at me.  
  
"Puppy love is a wonderful thing," Remus said grinning. I hit him in the face with my sponge.  
  
Soon, what looked like a good water fight was starting. I had the biggest advantage, as whenever someone tried to wet me, I had more than enough time to move out of the way.  
  
Yes, it would've been a lot of good fun, but with her increasing habit of showing up at the worst times, Professor McGonagal arrived.  
  
I quickly let the bucket and sponge dropped from the air, much to Ellie's relief as my bucket had been just about to tip water all over her.  
  
"What is going on here?" She yelled, then without waiting for an answer she turned to me, "why aren't you up there with the others?"  
  
"Uh," I thought hard, "I just, uh, dropped my bucket. And was just down here to get some more soap. And water. To clean the, you know, glass."  
  
I could hear Sirius groan at how obvious it had been that I was lieing.  
  
Luckily, the professor seemed to be in a rather good mood, she only sighed in exasperation and sent us back to our common rooms. Though I couldn't help but notice the curious looks she gave me.  
  
  
"How was detention?" James asked teasingly when we arrived back at the common room, sopping wet. (Well, at least Remus was, as Sirius had tipped all his water over him.)  
  
"It was fine," I said.  
  
Remus hopped over to James, eager to give him advice on his chess gave with Lily.  
  
"Oh no," James told him, "I'm not taking advice from you ever again."  
  
Remus grinned, "but if you move your king there," he pointed, "you can check mate her king."  
  
James' eyes lit up and Lily shot Remus a dirty look, "you just broke my winning streak!"  
  
I laughed at her, "oh no! How awful!"  
  
"Be quite, Miss Black!"  
  
"Er, let's stick to Strumming for now ok?" I asked.  
  
Sirius nodded, "yeah, Strummings is good. Strummings suits Lia."  
  
Sick of being laughed at, I went to bed.  
  
  
_"Ok, I've got the Menoris charm right here."  
  
He looked up from changing his sons nappy, "and the futories?"  
  
"Yep, that too."  
  
"And you spoke to the Sloans?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you brought the enchantment for Sirius."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"And you made sure that it said in your will she was to be sent to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yes! Stop panicking! I did everything, geez your worse than me."  
  
He grinned somewhat sheepishly, "I can't help it."  
  
He laughed, "I know you can't."  
  
"The Sloans agreed to help?"  
  
"Yes, reluctantly, but they did."  
  
"Well, that's a good thing. Right?"  
  
"I hope so."_

Chapter twenty eight

Private eye McGonagall

Summery:Professor McGonagal is asking a few to many questions for comfort. A potion, some banter and a dash of fluff.  


================================================================

"Well?"  
  
"There is a potion my lord, she plans to use it against us. It could ruin the plan."  
  
"If the plan is ruined you will die a very slow and painful death!"  
  
"I am sorry my lord! But this potion, it could be used for our advantage my lord."  
  
"Very well, make sure it is. Is she still remembering?"  
  
"Uh, yes my lord, but that will soon be remedied."  
  
"It had better be."  
  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
yes, I do believe my letter was slightly confusing. I can't really elaborate though as I can hear Ellie and Remus calling (more like screeching) for me. Let's just say that you can tell Clar that Sirius is no longer available...  
  
Love Lia  
  
  
"Miss Strummings could I speak to you before you leave please?"  
  
"Uh, sure professor."  
  
Sirius laughed at me as everybody went to lunch, I sat down in front of professor McGonagal, wondering how she could have found that it was me who put the Hippogriff turd in Snape's book bag.  
  
The professor gave me a very serious look. "Lia, do you know what a Sabi is?"  
  
I suddenly wished I had taken Sirius and Remus up on their offer to teach me how to lie. "Uh, yes. They're an extinct species aren't they?"  
  
"Some say they are, but their are those who say there is one left."  
  
"Really? What do you believe professor?"  
  
"I'm not sure. You may go now."  
  
So I went, trying not to faint in the hallway.  
  
  
"She asked you what?"  
  
Sirius was in full blown paranoia mode. So was Remus. Rachel was her annoyingly calm self and Ellie had an anxious look on her face.  
  
"She just mentioned Sabi's out of the blue then told me I could go. What if she knows? We could be expelled!"  
  
"We don't know that she knows."  
  
Remus sighed, "we're dead. She knows, of course she knows. Why else would she say that stuff?"  
  
"She probably suspects, but doesn't know. Everybody stop panicking for crying out loud."  
  
"Right, yeah ok," I took deep supposedly calming breaths and tried to think of a way to change the subject, "I had another dream last night."  
  
Remus and Sirius became slightly less ruffled. "Oh?" Sirius looked at me, "what new questions arose this time?"  
  
I smiled, "plenty to keep you happy." I told them about the dream, almost forgetting about Professor McGonagal.  
  
Sirius groaned when I had finished, "I'm not even going to bring up the millions of new questions."  
  
Ellie's brow wrinkled in thought, "Sloan?" She looked at Rachel, "were they talking about your family?"  
  
Rachel shrugged, "Sloan is a common last name." She paused then remembered something, "oh! Remember that potion I was telling you about?"  
  
"The one were you get to pick who gets to be immortal?"  
  
"Yup. I've found the book it's in, so if you guys want, we can start."  
  
"Yeah why not?" I mumbled, "it'll give us something to do before McGonagal hands us over to the ministry of magic."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes, "c'mon my little ray of sunshine, let's go get some food."  
  
  
"Blue!" James poked me with his wand, "what's the answer for question nine?"  
  
"I put 'the Hippogriff was executed.'"  
  
"Oh," James looked very pained, "I put three..."  
  
Sirius snorted, "not cut up for homework are you Prongs?"  
  
Ellie and Lily burst into laughter quite suddenly.  
  
"What?" Peter asked looking confused.  
  
"The guys call you Blue," Lily said, grinning like this was a funny, new piece of information.  
  
"Yes, I have no control over that as the Avarda Kedavra curse is illegal."  
  
Ellie giggled, "but if, I mean when, (if and when perhaps, lone astronomer?) you marry Sirius, you'll be Blue Black."  
  
James, Peter and Remus broke into fits of laughter, but Sirius suddenly looked rather worried. I'm sure I did too.  
  
"Uh, marriage, excuse me? Did I miss something?"  
  
Lily rolled her eyes, "calm down Sirius."  
  
"I'm fifteen," I announced, "I hardly think I'll be getting married any time soon thank you very much."  
  
Jessie grinned, "I don't believe that. I've been planning my wedding since I was seven."  
  
"I was six," Lily said smiling.  
  
"I didn't start until I was eight," Hannah said,  
  
"I was seven." Jessie sighed happily, "I can't wait until I'm married."  
  
"Is this a British thing?" I asked sitting, "because I've never given any thought to my wedding. If I have a wedding. I don't know if I even want a wedding."  
  
Lily and co. looked at me as if I were insane. "Not have wedding? That's preposterous!"  
  
I shrugged, "call it what you want. I have homework to do."  
  
  
That night, as I prepared for Transfiguration the next day, Ellie, Remus and Sirius gave me advice on how I should act in front of professor McGonagal. This proved rather difficult as Lily, Hannah, Jessie and James were with us, so the advice tended to be rather vague.  
  
"Act like you didn't even speak to her," Ellie told me.  
  
'What, ignore her?"  
  
"No," said Remus, "just act like you've forgotten the conversation. Like it wasn't important."  
  
"But it was."  
  
"Lia!" Cried Sirius in despair, "what are we going to do with you? You should've let me and Remus teach you to lie."  
  
Lily looked at us with interest, "is there even a remote chance, that if I ask what's going on you'll tell me?"  
  
"Nope," Remus grinned at her, "not unless you say please."  
  
"Please."  
  
Sirius smirled, "with a cheery on top."  
  
"With a cheery on top."  
  
"And sugar."  
  
"And sugar."  
  
"And say Sirius has the cutest moonta this side of Hogsmead."  
  
"I'm not saying that! What's a moonta?"  
  
Sirius just looked all mysterious but I took pity and leaned close to her ear so I could whisper the translation.  
  
She laughed once I'd told her, "oh, in that case. James, you have a very nice moonta."  
  
Sirius laughed so hard he choked on his licorice wand. James just looked confused.  
  
"Sirius has a better moonta," I told Lily.  
  
"No, James does."  
  
"Sirius does."  
  
"James."  
  
"Sirius."  
  
"James."  
  
"Sirius."  
  
"James!"  
  
"Admit that it's Sirius or I'll tell James what moonta means."  
  
Lily thought this one over. "Ok, Sirius does."  
  
Apparently sick with being confused, the boys went to bed.

Chapter twenty nine

To Tell or not to Tell

Summery: Does McGonagall really know? Will Lia and co. tell Lily and co.??

================================================================

Dearest Lia,  
  
You stole my guy, you hussy! Now what am I to do with all these wedding plans? Though I've heard (ok, Celia heard) that Matthew Pike is free...  
  
Lia, please ignore the above insane ramblings. Clar wrote them, not me. So you and Sirius a together now huh? All I can say is:  
  
IT'S ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!  
  
Luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
I eyed the door to Transfiguration with a growing sense of forbidding. I had considered calling in sick, but the boys and Ellie said that would make it obvious that I was guilty.   
  
"Don't look so scared," Sirius advised taking my hand, "you look like you're on your way to a death eater convention."  
  
Remus gave me a gentle push in the back, "it'll be ok Lia. She doesn't know anything, now let's go in before the others come to see were we've got to."  
  
I slowly trudged into the room and took a seat next to Ellie and Lily. Professor McGonagall didn't even look twice at me so I felt a little better.  
  
"Today," she said loudly, so the people at the back stopped talking, "we are going to be transfiguring these old quills into birds," she gestured to a box on her right and so the lesson began.  
  
When the end of the lesson was only ten minutes away and the professor still hadn't spoken to me, I began to relax. Rachel was probably right, I told myself. I just overreacted.  
  
"Miss Strummings?"  
  
Or maybe not.  
  
"Yes professor?"  
  
"Would you come with me please? The rest of you may go."  
  
I gave Sirius and Remus a stricken look and followed Professor McGonagall out of the room.  
  
  
I'd always wanted to see Professor McGonagall's office. But I'm afraid that once I finally got there, I was to worried to pay much attention.  
  
"Miss Strummings, I have received some troubling news." She peered at me closely.  
  
"Oh? Um, what?"  
  
"It has been brought to my attention, by a student who shall remain anonymous, that you have taken to wandering the halls late at night with a select group of others."  
  
"Really? We would someone say that? I mean, the other night was a one off, really."  
  
"Really?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Lia, I will not have students roming the halls after dark. Especially those from Gryffindor. Do you understand?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
"I can guess who the others are. Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, Miss Linton and Miss Sloan. Am I right?"  
  
Nod.   
  
"And would I be right in presuming you are not just star gazing?"  
  
Nod. Why couldn't I think of a better reply?   
  
"Then what are you doing?"  
  
Ok, had to think fast. Damn! Were was Sirius when you needed him?  
  
"Lia?"  
  
"Uh, we just walk around. You know, find secret passages and stuff. I know it's against the rules, but I have trouble sleeping sometimes and it's the only way I can get sleepy..."  
  
The professor raised a hand to silence me. "Lia please, do not treat me like a fool. You can go now, but I will be talking to you and friends again soon."  
  
  
It was a rather nervous looking group who sat in the common room that night. Well Sirius, Remus, Ellie and I were nervous. Everyone else was just confused and annoyed.  
  
"Will you guys EVER tell us whats going on?" James asked us.  
  
I shrugged, "may as well, you have a right to know before we're shipped to Azkaban."  
  
"Maybe they won't take us to Azkaban, maybe they'll just, I dunno, kill us?"  
  
"That's a bit of an over reaction padfoot," Remus said, half smiling.  
  
Ellie chewed her nail, "is it? I mean, if this gets out, there'll be an awful lot of people after Lia at least."  
  
"Don't remind me," I moaned.  
  
"I told you to forget it Blue," said Sirius shaking his head, "but did you take heed? Nooooooo."  
  
"I can't believe you dobbed us in Blue," said Remus, "I know your a hopeless lier and all, but you could have tried."  
  
"That's it!" Yelled Lily, making everyone in the common room star, "if you guys don't tell us what's going on NOW someone is going to going to get HURT!"  
  
"Yes mum," muttered Sirius. Lily shot him a dark look.  
  
"So do we tell them?" I asked the guys, "I can't be bothered thinking about it."  
  
A short silence followed.   
  
"We might tell you tomorrow," Remus said at last, "but first we have to talk to... someone. Ok?"  
  
Lily nodded. "Fine."  
  
Funnily enough, at that moment she reminded me of McGonagall.  
  
  
"They're going to keep bugging you guys until you tell them," Rachel said.  
  
I sighed, "I know. But if we tell them they'll want to help and I don't want to endanger the or get them into trouble. Especially with McGonagal sniffing around the way she is."  
  
"They're going to keep getting angry," said Sirius, "James and I have had more then enough fights about this."  
  
Ellie nodded, "they'll figure it out on their own soon anyway. They nearly had it when Remus and I found out."  
  
"Ellie's right," agreed Remus, "I think we should tell them."  
  
"Who exactly?" I asked.  
  
"Lily and James," said Sirius instantly. "They're the two who want to know the most, and they're who we trust the most. I suppose we could tell Peter, but I don't think he really cares."  
  
"Does everyone agree?" Rachel looked at us and we nodded. "Fine, I'll leave it up to you guys to tell them, as I don't really know them. Ok?"  
  
More nods. It seemed our numbers were to rise again.  
  
  
Before the great confession could take place we had a meeting with our favorite professor to attend.  
  
"Do you all know why your here?"  
  
Non, nod, nod. nod, nod.  
  
"Good. I want to know why you have been out so late."  
  
Sirius grinned a charming grin, "do you really want to know professor?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh. Well, if you're sure. You see, little Lia here is a Sabi and we've been training her."  
  
I could have killed Sirius then, but I thought that might create a slight fuss.  
  
"Really," Professor McGonagal raised an eyebrow, "is this true Lia."  
  
"Um, no?"  
  
"I will let you five off this time. But if I hear of this happening again, there will be large consequences. Understand?"  
  
Nod, nod, nod, nod, nod.  
  
"Good."  
  
We left then, but I still couldn't help but feel the professors eyes burning holes in my back.

Chapter thirty

Return of the Prophecy

Summery: How will Lily and James react? How will the gang find all the ingrediants for their potion?

=====================================================

"Report."  
  
"She is concentrating on the dreams more than learning my lord."  
  
"Then stop the dreams."  
  
"We are not sure how."  
  
"Find a way!"  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
Dear Tahnee and Clar  
  
Clar, very sorry. But do get over it, as I do not plan on letting Mr. Black go any time soon.  
  
Tahnee, would you please tell Celia I am going out with Sirius and take a photo of her reaction? Also, I will not be coming home for the holidays next week, as I will be very busy here.   
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
"So you're finally going to tell us what you've been up to?" Lily asked, peering at me like she didn't quite believe it.  
  
I scanned the common room once again making sure it was empty and Sirius answered, "yep."  
  
"Are you sure we shouldn't be doing this in the astronomy tower or the cave?" Ellie asked, biting her nail.  
  
"If we get caught again McGonagall will cream us," said Remus sensibly.  
  
"Hello? Just tell us for crying out loud!" James said irritably.  
  
"Go on Blue, you do the honors," said Sirius flashing me a grin.  
  
"Why me?"   
  
"Because this is totally unbelievable and let's face it, you just can't lie."  
  
I poked my tongue out at Remus and turned to Lily and James. "Ok, like Remus said, this will seem totally unbelievable at first and I'll probably have to give myself a head ache proving it. But just hear me out ok?"  
  
Lily and James nodded.  
  
"Ok. I can't be bothered beating around the bush, so I'm just going to say it." I paused then went on. "Ever heard of the last Sabi?"   
  
Lily nodded James thought for a moment, "I think so, yeah."  
  
"That's me."  
  
"Are you serious?" James asked me in a disbelieving tone.  
  
No, I am," Sirius said. I realized that was the line I'd used when I first told him about my being a Sabi. I hoped Lily and James wouldn't react the same way.  
  
"Prove it then," Lily said.  
  
I sighed, "I knew you'd say that." I focused on the armchair James was sitting in, with James still in it.  
  
"Hey!" James realized he was floating in air, "hey! Put me down."  
  
"Prongs," Sirius said trying not to laugh, "she hasn't figured out how to do that properly yet."  
  
"What!"  
  
I though for a second, "ok James? I'll lower it as much as I can, then you jump."  
  
"uh, ok then."  
  
I managed to get the chair about a metre off the ground, "jump James!" He jumped and the chair his the ground and broke.  
  
"Repario." Remus put his wand away and turned to James, "are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine," he said dusting himself off. He looked at me, "so you're really the last Sabi?"  
  
"Uh, yeah."  
  
He grinned, "cool."  
  
"It is not cool!" Lily yelled.  
  
"Shh, Lily, you'll wake everyone up!" Sirius hissed.  
  
"I don't care!" But she did lower her voice.  
  
"Don't you know what happened to them Lia?" She asked me desperately.  
  
"I do Lily. And I know it's dangerous, but I am what I am."  
  
"How long have you known?"  
  
"Only since the beginning of the year."  
  
"Well, if you ignored it for fifteen years, why can't you just ignore it now?"  
  
"I can't that Lily, please, try to understand."  
  
"No," she stood up, shaking her head. "No Lia. I can't understand why you would want to risk your life like this. So don't expect me to be apart of this, ok?" She turned and fled the room.  
  
  
I tried several times to talk to Lily the next day, but on each occasion she ignored me. I was thinking about this in study of ancient runes when Rachel dropped a piece of parchment on my lap.   
  
"That's everything we need for potion we were talking about. The Sabris potion."  
  
I quietly read the list aloud to Remus. "Serpent venom, Unicorn tailhair, ordels snare, tristifico flower, water, sugar, mint, lemon juice," I paused, "mint? lemon juice?"  
  
"Keep reading," Remus urged.  
  
"all right. A werewolf hair," I pretended not to notice Remus' cringe, "a hair from the head of a Sabi and a drop of blood from an enemy."  
  
"Not that it's going to be difficult or anything," commented Remus dryly.  
  
  
"G'night James."  
  
"Good night Blue."  
  
"G'night Remus."  
  
"Good night Blue."  
  
"G'night Ellie."  
  
"Good night Lia."  
  
"G'night Peter."  
  
"Good night Bluey."  
  
"G'night Sirius."  
  
"Good night muffin."  
  
"Muffin?"  
  
"It's better than pork chop."  
  
"Good point. G'night Lily."  
  
"Lily?"  
  
"Fine. I'm going to bed."  
  
  
_It is indeed a pity, that they are no more.   
Now who will save the young, rich and poor?  
Ah, but you have it all wrong, indeed you do,  
she's still here, but she has not a clue.  
Then how will she help him if she does not know?  
How will she save us from our undoubted foe!  
The maurorders of four, forget them not,  
they'll awaken her brain, before it can clot!  
ah but of course, it will not last,  
she'll save the child then leave our world fast.  
I am afraid your right, but do not despair,  
she'll do her bit, it's only fair!  
_  
  
"It wasn't really like my other dreams." I told James, Sirius, Ellie, Rachel and Remus the next day by the lake. (Remus and Sirius had already filled James in on our past 'adventures.' though I didn't know if he knew about Sirius' dad.)  
  
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.  
  
I shrugged. "I didn't see anything, it was all black. But I could hear someone reciting a poem or something."  
  
"What sort of poem?" Ellie inquired.  
  
I recited the bits I could remember, which were few. James snapped his fingers, "I know that. It's prophecy you read, you know, when we all had detention?"  
  
"A prophecy?" Remus thought this over, "didn't you're mum mention a prophecy in one of your dreams Blue?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
Rachel nodded, "Ok, James, Sirius? Go find the prophecy if you can, Lia? You try to remember it, in case it can't be found."   
  
Glad to be given a distraction from the Lily fiasco, I went to work without a complaint.


	4. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own what J.K.Rowling does.

Chapter thirty one

The First Ingredient

Summery: The potion is underway (kind of) and Lily is still mad.

=====================================================

Dear Lia  
  
Inclosed is a photo of Celia's reaction, (courtesy of Sarah-Jane). Notice how the vein on her temple is all swelled up? And how come you aren't coming home for the holidays? Because you're busy? How can you be so busy that you can't spare two weeks for you charming friends? Clar, (who is reading this over my shoulder), just pointed out that you do have a boyfriend at the moment and that is most likely the reason, so we should blame Sirius.  
  
Luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
I felt like I was drowning. Not in water, which would have been easier, but in unanswered questions and mysteries. One rather boring night in the common room Sirius wrote a list of them:  
  
1) What is the reason behind Blue's dreams?  
  
2) What enchantment were put on me?  
  
3) What does the prophecy mean?  
  
4) Did Blue's mum mean Sloan as in Rachel Sloan?  
  
5) Does McGonagall know what we're up to?  
  
"There's not that many," I said, looking over his shoulder.  
  
He shrugged, "I'm probably forgetting some. And besides, they're damn big questions."  
  
"It's the prophecy that bothers me," Remus said, holding the prophecy that Sirius and James had dug up. "I mean, 'she'll save the child then leave our world fast,' what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
I shrugged, "I suspect we'll find out soon enough, but let's stop talking about it here. We're attracting some odd looks."  
  
"And glares from Lily," Ellie observed.  
  
"I've tried talking to her so many times the past few days," I complained, "and every time she ignores me. It's not good for ones confidence to be ignored."  
  
"You're not the only one she's not talking to," James said. "She hasn't said two words to me since we found out."  
  
"And now you're going through withdrawals," Sirius muttered.  
  
He was prevented the curse which James was no doubt planning to inflict upon him when Professor McGonagall arrived to take down the names of those staying for the holidays.   
  
James, Sirius and I put our names to stay. Lily, surprisingly enough, also decided to stay and so did Peter. All the other fifth years were going, (including Remus and Ellie.)  
  
"Is Rachel staying?" James asked me.  
  
"Of course she is," Sirius said, "we can't do anything without our fearless leader."  
  
"Yeah, she's staying," I sighed. "And she's decided I've been slacking off too much lately and need to practice more."  
  
"If she doesn't become a professor when she's older," said Remus, "I'll eat my robes."  
  
  
The next day everybody left for there relaxing holiday. If I'd thought my holiday was going to be relaxing, I was terribly mistaken.  
  
"This is the perfect opportunity to practice," Rachel said by the lake after lunch, "don't looked so pained Sirius!"  
  
Sirius grinned, "yes mum."  
  
"Ok, Lia? You're ok at lifting things now,"  
  
"Just not at putting them down," James muttered.  
  
"You'll get the hang of that eventually. But I think we need to try something new." She placed a small rock on the ground in front of me. "Melt it."  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"You can melt it with your eyes. Glare at it. Go on."  
  
I sat there glaring at the rock, trying not to listen to Sirius' laughter.  
  
"This isn't achieving much," I pointed out, "except for giving me a head ache."  
  
"You'll get it in the end," she said, smiling. "It'll take time, like the lifting did."  
  
I sighed and flopped onto my back, "I know you're right. I just have this feeling that time isn't something I have right now."  
  
Sirius played with my hair, "I'd leave the divination to the experts Pumpkin pie."  
  
James snorted, "pumpkin pie?"  
  
"It's better than lamp chop."  
  
Rachel coughed, "back to work!"  
  
  
"Blue?"  
  
"Yah?" I put down my book, (which was boring anyway), and looked at Sirius.  
  
"Why do you think our parents never got together?"  
  
I shrugged, "who knows? Though in a way, I'm glad they didn't, 'cause if they did you and I would never have been born."  
  
He grinned at me, "what if they were getting it on secretly? And I'm your half brother?"  
  
"Ew!" I shoved him, "don't even say that! Ew!"  
  
He laughed, "'twas only a thought, don't stress."  
  
"You would think something like that Mr. Black."  
  
Sirius smiled then turned serious, "I wonder how Remus is."  
  
"It's a full moon?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a big boy after all."  
  
"You're right," he looked at his watch, "c'mon let's go check out the moon from the astronomy tower."  
  
  
"Please don't tell me we're glaring at more rocks today," I moaned as we assembled by the grass again the next day.  
  
Rachel grinned, "nope. We need to figure out how we'll find the ingredients of the potion."  
  
"No glaring?"  
  
"No glaring."  
  
I smiled, "good."  
  
"Uh potion?" James looked confused, "what potion?"  
  
We explained the potion to him while Rachel went to get the list of ingredients.  
  
"Ok," She said once she got back, " we'll need Serpent venom, Unicorn tailhair, ordels snare, tristifico flower, water, sugar, mint, lemon juice, a werewolf hair, a hair from the head of a Sabi and a drop of blood from an enemy."  
  
"Easy," I muttered.  
  
Rachel sighed, "stop looking so worried! If we just take it one ingredient at a time, it'll will be easy." She took two small black bags from her robes, "these bags are enchanted so you can fit anything. I'll take one and you guys take one. It will only take about the week to get the easier stuff."  
  
Sirius nodded, "yeah, you're right I suppose. Come here for a second Blue."  
  
I went and sat next to Sirius, who plucked one of my hairs out.   
  
"Ow! What was that for?" I asked him.  
  
He grinned and added it to one of the bags, "the first ingredient. The hair from the head of the Sabi."  
  
I poked my tongue out at him, "next time, give me some warning before you start ripping out my hair."  
  
He laughed, "your wish is my command princess Lia."  
  
James coughed, "if you two are quite finished? How are we going to get the rest of this stuff?"  
  
We scanned the list again, "blood from an enemy?" I said, "were's Snape when you need him?"  
  
"Most of this stuff can be found in the forbidden forest," James said, with a glance in the forests direction.  
  
"A trip to the forbidden forest. Fun, fun, fun."  
  
Sirius thought for moment, "look on the bright side Blue. If a Unicorn starts to talk to you, at least you'll know you're not loony."

Chapter thirty two

Forbidden Foraging

Summery: Ok, Sirius, James, Rachel and Lia go to the forbidden forest and run into some trouble.

=====================================================

"She is training again my lord."  
  
"Good. Have you stopped the memories yet?"  
  
"We are working on it."  
  
"Well hurry."  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
that's right. Blame Sirius. Just make sure Clar doesn't curse him ok? That may bring our relationship to a sudden halt. On a different matter, could you send me some serpent venom from good ol' Hemsley's private stores? Don't ask what it's for, as I am incapable of answering.  
  
Luv Lia  
  
  
"Lily?"  
  
She turned the page of her book, purposely ignoring me.  
  
I sighed, "ok, so you're still mad."  
  
No reply.  
  
"Well, I thought you should know, chances are, I'm going to be eaten alive before dawn, so it was nice knowing you ok?"  
  
She still refused to speak, so I went to meet the guys in the common room.  
  
  
Rachel, James, Sirius and I stood at the edge of the forbidden forest.  
  
"Well, this is going to be fun," muttered Sirius.  
  
"We're not getting any ingredients by standing here staring at it you know," Rachel said, "c'mon, let's go in."  
  
So, clutching my little black bag, I followed the others into the forest. Trying to take my mind of the seemingly never-ending blackness, I thought about my last trip to the forest with Sirius. It seemed like a life time ago, when really, it was only a few months in the past. So much had happened since then, some of it good, some of it bad.  
  
I was so busy pondering this that I didn't see the plant until I tripped over it.  
  
"Uh guys?" I called as the ordels snare wrapped itself around my leg. "Guys?"  
  
"Yeah Blue?" Sirius turned, then, "oh."  
  
"Yeah, oh. Could you please GET THIS THING OFF ME!"  
  
The snare started to move faster, covering me with it's thick green leaves.  
  
"Don't yell Lia," Rachel warned, "you'll only aggravate it."  
  
"I tend to yell when I'm not calm. And guess what? I'm not calm!"  
  
"What do we do?" James asked, rather stupidly.  
  
"Kill it," Rachel said simply.  
  
"We gathered that," Sirius snapped, "but how? And hurry, before that thing eats Lia."  
  
The snare had made it's way up to my neck now, preventing me from moving. The feel of the slimy leaves made my skin crawl and I had resist the urge to scream or vomit or both.   
  
"I'm not really sure how you kill an ordels snare." Rachel admitted, "I honestly didn't think we'd find one."  
  
Sirius held out his wand, "uh, aquaries!" A stream of water hit the snare and, needless to say, had little effect.  
  
"How's water meant to stop it?" James asked, sounding slightly panicked.  
  
"Well, you think of something!"  
  
I ignored them and glared furiously at the stupid snare, which was slowly cutting off my air ways. To my surprise, hissed and drew back.  
  
"Oh, wow!" James said. I wanted to hit him.  
  
"Keep glaring Lia," Rachel whispered, "you're melting it!"  
  
Sure enough, parts of the ordels snare were liquefying and the cursed plant was unwrapping it's self, trying to get away.  
  
"Oh wait," Rachel remembered, a tad to late, "hit it with a rock!"  
  
Not wasting any time, Sirius snatched a large rock off the near by ground and struck the snare with it several times.  
  
The snare flopped seemingly lifeless to the ground and I gratefully shook myself free.  
  
"Wow Blue," James said, poking the ordels snare, "you really did melt some of it!"  
  
"Serves the dumb thing right," I muttered, checking my ribs to see if they were broken.  
  
"I wonder what it was doing here," Rachel said, thinking aloud. "Ordels snare doesn't usually grow in this climate."  
  
"Who cares what it was doing here?" Sirius asked, giving me a concerned look, "let's just grab some of it and go back."  
  
"No, we don't have to leave," I said quickly, "I'm fine. Let's just find the rest of the stuff."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
I gave Sirius a big smile just to show how fine I was, "yup. Let's go!"  
  
  
So we continued along the tiny path. If you could even call it a path, it was more like a trail of dirt were the plants didn't grow quite as thick.  
  
"Are there any cliffs near here?" I asked, keeping a watchful eye on the path so I didn't trip over any more plants, "'cause tritifico flower only grows under cliffs."  
  
"There's a few small cliffs in Hogsmead," Sirius said helpfully, "but I don't know if there's any trisifico flower. I've never looked."  
  
"When's the next Hogsmead visit?" Rachel asked him.  
  
It was James who answered, "not until school goes back. We could sneak out I suppose."   
  
"The cliffs are near the cave," Sirius added.  
  
I half smiled, "you know, I still haven't seen all of Hogsmead? Every time we go, a certain Sirius Black seems to distract me."  
  
James snorted and Sirius grinned, "aipama wadli," he said.  
  
Rachel may have rolled her eyes, I couldn't tell through the darkness, "can we pay attention here?" She asked, "in case you forgot, we are surrounded by rather lethal animals and plants."  
  
"Uh right," I looked around, "what are we looking for now?"  
  
"Well, a Unicorn," Rachel said, "not that I think we'll find one."  
  
"Of course we will," said Sirius almost tiredly, "go on Blue, call your old buddy."  
  
"Huh?" Said James, Rachel and I.  
  
"You know, the Unicorn that you had a good ol' gossip with on our detention."  
  
"Oh, yeah." I thought, then, "how the heck am I meant to call it?"  
  
He shrugged, "I dunno. Just call it."  
  
"What are you two talking about?" James asked, looked confused.  
  
"Why, hello there."  
  
"What?" I asked looking at my friends.  
  
"What are you and Sirius talking about?" James repeated.  
  
"No," I shook my head, "what did you say after that?"  
  
"Nothing," James said, giving me a 'have-you-finally-gone-insane?' look.  
  
"Strange, strange indeed."  
  
"There!" I said, "did you here that?"  
  
Sirius, Rachel and James shook their heads.  
  
I looked around, "uh, hello?"  
  
"I've already greeted you lass, did you not hear?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, I did. It just confused me that's all," I felt rather stupid, talking to something Rachel, Sirius and James could not hear. If it hadn't happened before with the Unicorn, I might have thought I was insane.  
  
Sirius clicked, "oh. Is an animal talking to you Blue?"  
  
"I think so," I looked around again, "um, where are you?"  
  
"I'm right here."  
  
"Uh, yes. But I can't see you. I like to be able to see what I'm talking to."  
  
"Yes, you can talk to me. Strange, strange."  
  
"Um, yeah, it is, isn't it? If you don't mind me asking, what are you?"  
  
"What am I? Rather stupid question, I know what I am."  
  
"But I don't."  
  
"Ah. I see."  
  
"So what are you?"  
  
"Why, I'm a Griffin."  
  
"You're a Griffin?"  
  
"It's a Griffin?" Hissed Rachel, sounding slightly hysterical, which is unusual for Rachel. "A griffin? we have to get out of here! Now!"  
  
"Yes lass, I am a Griffin. The bravest of the brave. And you, are food."

Chapter thirty three

Griffin Food

Summery: Will Lia and the others become Griffin food?

================================================================

"The ordels snare didn't kill it my lord, but it did advance her powers."  
  
"I want it dead!"  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
  
"What!" I shrieked, "did you just say food?"  
  
"What about food," asked James sounding very worried.   
  
"Yes, that's what I said lass. I am hungry and you are food."  
  
"Uh guys, I think we should leave. NOW!"  
  
Rachel nodded quickly, still mildly hysterical, "that's what I said before. C'mon, let's go!"  
  
"Leave? No, that will not do. That will no do at all."  
  
The bushes rustled, (you could just about hear the jaws theme playing,) and the Griffin stepped into view.  
  
It looked exactly like the Griffins in fairy tails. The size of a lion, (though a slightly more golden in color), it could almost be mistaken for a lion, except for the curved beak, the taloned feet and pair of wings sticking out of it's back. It was actually rather beautiful, though it was hard to think that when it was planning to eat you.  
  
"Blue!" Demanded Sirius, "what did that thing say to you!"  
  
Rachel was shaking, "it's a bloody Griffin Sirius. Whatever it said, I can assure you it won't be good."  
  
"It kinda called us food," I said, feeling somehow responsible.  
  
"Food?" Repeated James and Sirius at the same time.  
  
"Yeah, as in I'm hungry and you're food."  
  
"That can't be good," said James as he and Sirius whipped out their wands.  
  
"How are your wands going to help?" Snapped Rachel, "are you going to spray water at it?"  
  
"Oh do put your wands away, or I shall kill you both slowly."  
  
"Guys," I said, "if I were you, I'd put your wands away."  
  
They did.  
  
"Who shall I eat first? Tell me strange one, who shall be first?" The Griffin cocked it's head at me, I could almost see a grin.  
  
"He wants to know who he should eat first," I reported, trying not to faint.  
  
"What?" Cried Rachel and James. Sirius snapped a four letter word which I don't care to repeat.  
  
"Oh, wait!" Said James, "tell him we're in Gryffindor."  
  
"How will that help?" asked Rachel, wringing her hands.  
  
"Gryffindor, Griffin, sounds the same. Gryffindors are like Griffins aren't we?"  
  
"I'm in Ravenclaw!"  
  
"He doesn't know that, just lie Blue."  
  
"Dammit, she can't lie!" Cried Sirius, chewing on his lip.  
  
"Uh, we're Gryffindors, you don't want to eat us."  
  
The Griffin thought about this, "yes, I can see this. You are all in Gryffindor?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He sauntered over to Rachel, who gasped, "even this one?"  
  
"Uh, yes."  
  
"No, no this one is of the treacherous Raven. You lie."  
  
There wasn't much I could say to that.  
  
"What's happening Lia?" Demanded Sirius.  
  
"I shall eat this one, for she is of the raven." Decided the Griffin, nodding at Rachel. "And I shall eat you because you lie to me, the bravest of the brave. But the others shall live."  
  
"Lia? What's happening." James asked.  
  
"He's going to eat me and Rachel, but not you two."  
  
"Like hell," yelled Sirius, "you tell him that he eats all of us or none of us."  
  
"Are you insane Sirius! Just go!"  
  
"No!"  
  
I sighed, "eat all of us or none of us Griffin."  
  
The Griffin actually laughed, "oh yes, you are of Gryffindor. And who am I to argue with my own? I shall eat all of you."  
  
"He's going to eat all of us," I announced, again feeling responsible.  
  
"Good one Padfoot," muttered James. But then he grinned, "tell it to eat me first."  
  
Rachel shook her head, "don't be stupid you two, it was going to let you go!"  
  
James and Sirius shrugged, though their bravado act was starting to waver.  
  
"So tell me strange one, who shall I eat first?"  
  
I sighed, "eat me."   
  
"Blue!" Sirius grabbed me "what did you say that for!"  
  
The Griffin made it's way towards me and facing death for the second time that night, I squeezed my eyes shut tight.  
  
Nothing happened for a few seconds so I opened my eyes again, the Griffin looked absolutely furious.   
  
"Aren't you going to eat me?"  
  
"You are lucky strange one, you are protected."  
  
I felt a glimmer of hope, "I am?"  
  
"The Unicorns are in debt to you and they have commanded that you live. But if we meet again, you will be my meal."  
  
And, amazingly, it turned and stalked away.  
  
"Where's it going?" Sirius asked, "did it forget the salt?"  
  
Before I could answer, a Unicorn stepped appeared in front of us, it came rather close, but still kept it's distance from James and Sirius.   
  
"Wow," breathed Rachel, already forgetting the Griffin. "Wow."   
  
"Look at the scar," whispered Sirius, "that's your Unicorn Blue!"  
  
Sure enough, there was a faint scar down the Unicorns side.  
  
"Thank you," I said, feeling that I should say something. "You saved our lives."  
  
"Like you saved mine, Sabi."  
  
"Yeah, still, thanks."  
  
The Unicorn nodded, then said, "you need a tailhair."  
  
"What? Oh yeah. We do."  
  
"Then take one of mine, and my debt truly will be repaid."  
  
I walked slowly towards the Unicorn and carefully pulled out one of the tailhairs. "Thank you" I said again.  
  
The Unicorn nodded and gracefully walked away.  
  
Sirius' mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to get any words out. "What the hell just happened?"  
  
"I'll explain in a minute," I said, "but first, let's just get out of here before something else decided to eat us, ok?"  
  
  
"Were have you been!"  
  
Lily was waiting for us when we entered the common room. And as mad as she was, I was glad she was at least talking to us.  
  
"Us? Were have we been?" Asked Sirius grinning. He was happy. We all were. Not only had we escaped death twice, (well, twice for me, once for the others), we'd got to meet a Unicorn.  
  
"Were have you been?" She repeated, softer this time, but still an menacing voice.  
  
"Do you care?" I asked wanting her to say yes.  
  
"Just tell me were the hell you've been!"  
  
"We've been fighting Griffins and ordels snare," James told her.   
  
Sirius hit him, "you were meant to lie Prongs!"  
  
"Can't remember you three, er, two helping much anyway. I mean, water for crying out loud!"  
  
Sirius grinned rather sheepishly, "yeah. Sorry 'bout that."  
  
Lily stamped her foot and we all looked at her. "Griffins and ordels snare?"  
  
We nodded.  
  
"GRIFFINS AND ORDELS SNARE?!"  
  
James and I winced, Sirius put a finger to his lips, "shh Lily, you'll wake everyone up."  
  
She glared at us, for a moment I had images of her cursing us, then she turned and stalked away.  
  
"Do you think she's mad?" Sirius asked.

Chapter thirty four

The last Dream

Summery: Lia's last dream and some fluffy fluff.

======================================================

"We have a plan my lord."  
  
"A plan?"  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
"Explain."  
  
  
Dear Lia,  


you will find that I have attached Serpent venom to this letter. (Hope Otto doesn't drink it...) I won't ask what you need it for, (I don't really think I want to know), but I do hope you're not breaking the law, as I don't want to be put in Azkaban for being an accomplice. Actually, Hemsley caught me taking this but I told him a was the potion fairy and could he please get me some Serpent venom. So of course he did.   
  
Luv and sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
_"So, this is it."  
  
He nodded sadly, "yeah. This is it."  
  
"It might be all right, if Tom, I mean, you-know-who is over thrown, you won't have to hide anymore."   
  
"Do you remember what I said when we were kids, after you nearly drowned in the lake?"  
  
She smiled, "yeah. If you die, I'll be dead too, so don't go dying any time soon, 'cause I kinda like my life."  
  
"I meant it. I'm going into hiding because I want to see Sirius grow, because I want him to remember me. But I'll be dead, just like you."  
  
"I may be dead, but you can bet your bottom dollar I'll come back to haunt you."  
  
He chuckled, "there's always Lia and Sirius. Maybe they'll get a better chance at it."  
  
"If Lia makes it to Hogwarts that is."  
  
"She will. With the Sloans agreeing to help, the enchantment of Sirius and all the charms we've put on her she'll be garnered to make it."  
  
"Knock on wood."  
  
He wrapped the wooden bench they were sitting on with his knuckles then looked at his watch. "I have to go."  
  
All at once she burst into tears, "when did our perfect world break? We're the Siamese twins, it wasn't meant to end like this!"  
  
"Maybe it was," he shrugged, "we'll never know what could have been, heck, I don't think we'll ever know what is. I just hope there'll always be someone who knows what was."  
  
"I love you Vinnie."  
  
"I love you too Mel."  
  
_  
"Lia, are you all right?"  
  
I sat down on the cave floor, "when do you think the others will get here?"  
  
Sirius shrugged, "not for a while, we're pretty early. But are you ok?"  
  
"I had another dream last night. I think it was the last one."  
  
"Oh. What happened?"  
  
I described the dream to Sirius, trying not to cry.  
  
Sirius didn't say anything for a while. "I never even knew my dads name. I didn't think to ask as a kid and I didn't dare bring it up with mum after he died."  
  
"Vinnie. Vincent probably. Vincent Black."  
  
"Vincent," Sirius smiled, "if I ever have a son, I'm calling him Vincent."  
  
"If?"  
  
"Was that a proposal?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Lia Black," he winked, "has a ring to it. Though I'm not too sure about this Blue Black business."  
  
I hit him, "you're full of your self!"  
  
"Mrs. Lia-" He paused, "what's your middle name?"  
  
"Not telling."  
  
"I'll make one up then. Let's see... Lia Maria Black?"  
  
"Lia Maria? You realize that rhymes?"  
  
"Ok, Lia Fred Black? Lia Dog Food Black?"  
  
"Now you're just being stupid."  
  
"Who's being stupid?" Asked Rachel, entering the cave with James on her heels.  
  
"Sirius."  
  
Sirius paused, as thought waiting for something. He turned to James, "what's the matter with you Prongs? That was the perfect opening for about fifty jokes..."  
  
James mumbled something.  
  
I grinned, "he's depressed 'cause Lily isn't speaking to him."  
  
"Aww, poor ickle Jamsie poo."  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes, "can we please go look for some tristifico flower now?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," I said, standing. The I remembered, "I had another dream last night."  
  
Rachel looked at me and James stopped moping. "Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, it was the last one. The Sloans were mentioned again, you sure that's not you?"  
  
Rachel shook her head, "I don't see how it could be. Are you sure it's the last one?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Then you'll probably still have one more. A dream of the future."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Is it Megan?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your middle name."  
  
"No."  
  
"Penny?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Hannah?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Anna?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Victoria Jane Ellis-smith the third?"  
  
"Sirius?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
  
"Can you see any James?"  
  
"I don't think so, lower me down a bit more Blue. But don't drop me!"  
  
I lowered him a bit more, trying to ignore images of James falling fifty feet to the ground. I could just see the headline: Last Sabi sends boy over cliff!  
  
"Hey, I think I see some! I can't tell for sure though, what did you say it looks like again?"  
  
"Like a flower," called Sirius helpfully.  
  
"It's purple, with a black crescent moon sort of shape on each petal" Rachel said, ignoring Sirius.  
  
"Yeah this is it then. Move me across Lia."  
  
"Which way?"  
  
"Left."  
  
I moved him.  
  
"No, the other left!"  
  
I moved him again.  
  
"Ok, I got it, lift me up quickly, I'm feeling dizzy."  
  
I lifted James back over the edge of the cliff and (amazingly) deposited him safely on the ground.  
  
He shook his head, "ugh. Never doing that again."  
  
"It's meant to make you smarter," Sirius said, "having all your blood rush to your head. Do you feel smarter Prongs?"  
  
"If smart people feel like they're going to be sick, then yes."  
  
"Sick. Lia, is your middle name sick?"  
  
"What? No!"  
  
"Why do you want to now her middle name anyway?" Asked Rachel, "I didn't think males cared about stuff like that."  
  
Sirius grinned, "well, what am I meant to say when we get married. I take thee Lia Blank Strummings?"  
  
James snorted, "when's the wedding?"  
  
I kicked James and hit Sirius. "What's your middle name then?" I asked.  
  
"Uh, can't tell you that."  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes and muttered something about 'idiot males.'   
  
"Is it Bob?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oscar?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Romeo?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right, Sirius Romeo Black. That's me."  
  
Rachel then threatened to curse us if we didn't shut up, so we walked the rest of the way in silence.

Chapter thirty five

The Warning

Summery: Lia gets a warning via Peter and a new power makes Lily, erm, un-mad?

=====================================================

Dear potion fairy,  


thanks for the venom, it'll come in handy. We're not doing anything illegal as such. Not really... How about if I don't say anything?  
  
Luv Lia.  
  
  
"Uh, Lia?"  
  
I jumped and fell off the bed. "Were you talking to me?" I asked Lily trying to regather my pride.  
  
"No. The other Lia."  
  
"Oh, you were talking to me. Um, yeah?"  
  
"Is there any reason why you're glowing?"  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"You're glowing Lia. Why?"  
  
I looked down at my hands, which to my surprise were really glowing. "Oh! Um, ok, this is new." I thought for a moment, "do you think you could get Sirius for me, I don't think I should leave the room whilst glowing."  
  
She got up and left the room. I hoped she really was going to get Sirius and not going to get McGonagall.  
  
A few minutes later not only Sirius and James followed Lily back into the room. James saw me and did a double take, but Sirius grinned.  
  
"I don't think this is funny." I snapped at him.  
  
He laughed, "my dad used to love doing that."  
  
"How did he stop?" I asked feeling rather unnerved by the fact that I looked like a, well, a glowing thing.  
  
"Um," Sirus thought for a moment. "I don't know. He used to just stop. Oh wait! He had to sneeze sometimes."  
  
"Sneeze?" Asked James and I. Lily watched all this with a curious look on her face.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
I thought this over, "does anybody know any sneezing charms?"  
  
"Rachel would," said James instantly.  
  
"Does anybody in this room know any sneezing charms?"  
  
"I do," said Lily.  
  
"Oh, could you please charm me then?"  
  
Lily rolled her eyes and picked up her wand. "Achooinate!"  
  
I sneezed. I sneezed again. And again. And again.   
  
"You'll keep sneezing for about three minutes," Lily told me.  
  
Well. At least I'd stopped glowing. Sirius laughed, "I reckon you looked better when you were glowing. You looked like an angel. Hey! Is that your middle name?"  
  
James groaned and dragged him from the room.  
  
Lily sat and watched me until I'd stopped sneezing.   
  
"Uh, thanks. I think," I said, while checking yet again to make sure my skin was normal.  
  
"You're welcome," said Lily, smiling softly.  
  
"Look Lily," I said at the exact same time she said, "listen Lia."  
  
I laughed, "you first."  
  
"No you."  
  
I sighed, "ok. I was just going to say that I was sorry."  
  
She smiled, "me too. Though I don't know what you have to be sorry for. I overreacted that's all. I guess I was scared that you'd get hurt."  
  
I grinned, "well, that's a good thing isn't it?"  
  
"I suppose. I really am sorry. Do you think James and Sirius and Ellie and Remus'll forgive me?"  
  
I was still grinning, "I can guarantee you James will. He's been moping about like a lost chicken ever since you stopped speaking to him."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup. Sirius reckons he likes you."  
  
"You're not just saying that?"  
  
"Nope. Night Lily." I pulled shut my curtains and left Lily to think that one over.  
  
  
The next day I talked Lily into coming with me to the cave. On the way I told her all of my dreams.  
  
"Oh that's so sad!" She said once I finished, "I mean, it's the ultimate tragic romance isn't it? They were in love, but left it too late and couldn't be together."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose it is. I don't like to think about it too much, it's depressing."  
  
"Yeah. Hey isn't Rachel's last name Sloan?"  
  
"Yeah. But she doesn't think it could've been her family in my dream. After all, Sloan's a pretty common name isn't it?"  
  
"I guess. Is that the cave?" She pointed and I nodded.   
  
"Yeah let's go, the other's be up there already."  
  
  
I think the last person James and Sirius expected to see with me was Lily.   
  
"Hi, um, Lily isn't it?" Said Rachel, smiling.  
  
Lily nodded shyly and sat down next to me.  
  
"Tahnee sent me some serpent venom," I said placing it on the floor with the rest of the ingredients.  
  
"And James and I got the what we needed from the kitchen," said Sirius, as James was busy making eye contact with Lily.  
  
"So all we need now is," Rachel consulted the list, "werewolf hair. Were in heck are we going to find werewolf hair?"  
  
James, Sirius and I pretended we had no idea of were we could find a werewolf.  
  
Rachel shrugged to herself, "oh well. We'll think of something. Lily, I presume Lia has filled you in on everything?"  
  
Lily nodded, "most things. Like the potion and her dreams."  
  
Sirius grinned, "did she tell you her middle name?"  
  
Rachel groaned, "Lia, just tell him your middle name so we can have some peace!"  
  
I shook my head, "not until he tells me his."  
  
"I have this strange feeling that I should run away," said Lily, giving us all strange looks.  
  
"She's one of the smart ones," whispered Sirius loudly.  
  
Rachel grabbed a small rock, "we've got to start practicing again. Melt this Lia, the same way you melted the ordeals snare."  
  
I glared at the rock, which bubbled, shook a little then melted.  
  
"Oh! Cool," Lily grinned, "wish I could do that."  
  
I rubbed my temple, "no you don't. It hurts."  
  
"That'll stop once you get used to it," said Rachel nodding, then she grinned. "Sirius tells me you can glow now."  
  
"I can't. It just happened."  
  
"It just happened?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It just happened," mocked James.  
  
I glared at him, "watch it Jamsie, or I'll melt your head."  
  
"You could actually melt his brain if you wanted," said Rachel helpfully.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Don't give her ideas!" Cried James, moving away from me.  
  
I laughed, "you'd better run Potter, I'm coming to get you!"  
  
James poked out his tongue "then come get me baby."  
  
"If I were the jealous type," said Sirius, "I'd probably punch you now Prongs."  
  
"But Padfoot, you are the jealous type."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "let's go, before blood is shed."  
  
  
"Were have you guys been?" Asked Peter as soon as we got back, "I've been looking all over for you."  
  
"Well Peter," said James, "we thought you would have jumped at the chance to be alone with Nancy."  
  
Peter blushed slightly, "yeah well, some guy was looking for Lia."  
  
"Some guy?" Asked Sirius, "geez, if I wasn't the jealous type before I will be by the end of the day."  
  
"He wasn't a student," Peter said quickly, "at least, I don't think he was. He didn't look like one. He was freaky, I didn't like him much. I think he was insane."  
  
"How old did he look?" Asked Lily patently.  
  
"About nineteen, twenty?"  
  
"What did he want?"  
  
"He told me to tell the Strummings girl that the games were over and the blood bath was ready to begin."

Chapter thirty six

Where's Celia?

Summery: The glowing is growing to be a problem and where oh where is Celia?

=====================================================

Dear Lia,

I have decided that I really do not want to know what you are up to. Clar does though, she's decided that you've joined the Mafia. You haven't have you? 

Luv and sunshine

Tahnee

P.S. Have you heard from Celia? She went home for the holidays and we haven't received one annoying letter from her.

Peter must have been confused at our reactions to the message he passed on. But he didn't act like it, he just left us there all pale and shaking, (or at least I was), and went to meet his fourth year girlfriend Nancy.

"It could have just been some random sicko," said James, pacing around the chair we were sitting on.

"Who just happened to know my name?" I shook my head, "we all know the explanation that fits."

"I wonder how he managed to get inside the grounds anyway," said Lily, "I mean, he couldn't have apparated."

'We should go tell Rachel," Sirius gave me a worried look, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine. C'mon, let's go tell Rachel."

"No, I'll go tell Rachel," Sirius stood up, "you'll wait here."

"Says who?"

"Me." And he turned and left the common room.

Rachel, Sirius reported when he got back, was very worried about my warning. She figured it must have something to do with you-know-who, but she couldn't think of any rational reason of why they'd let me know they were on to me.

"They're has to be a reason," said Sirius. He fiddled with Padfoot, (the teddy he gave me). "I mean, they wouldn't do it with out a reason."

I shrugged helplessly. "Maybe they just wanted to freak me out. Maybe we're making to much of it, maybe it has nothing to do with you-know-who."

"And maybe pigs'll grow wings," muttered James.

Lily sighed, "it's late and we're not achieving anything by sitting around stressing. Let's all just go to bed and see how we feel in the morning."

I did feel better in the morning. Sleep may not solve all of you're problems, but it's the next best thing.

I met up with Sirius in the common room and we walked to breakfast together.

"You ok?" He asked me.

I nodded, "yeah. If they know were I am there's nothing I can do about right? So what's the point in getting all stressed?"

"You're right I guess," he sighed, "Blue, when did things all get so complicated?"

I shrugged and smiled at him, "cheer up Sirius. If you keep worrying you'll give yourself gray hairs."

"Do you think gray would suit me?"

Everything was back to normal. Well, not really. Not even close. But it was normal enough and that's all that mattered.

The rest of the holidays passed rather uneventfully. As each day went by without any more work from Mr. Man, as we had dubbed him, we all grew more and more relaxed. Even Rachel couldn't be bothered trying to make me practice and a lazy hazy stupor settled nicely around Hogwarts.

All good things must come to an end of course and before we knew it classes were ready to start again. One good thing about this was the return of Remus and Ellie. (Who, I might add, had grown rather close on the train ride to and from Hogwarts.)

We filled them in on everything that had happened during the holidays, (Remus loved hearing about the griffin), and I demonstrated my new melting abilities.

Remus also brought several strands of werewolf hair with him. He told some story about there being a werewolf attack near were he lived and I pretended to believe him.

"This means," said Sirius, "that we have all the ingredients we need to start the potion."

Everybody seemed to think this was a good thing, I wasn't nearly as sure.

But I acted happy and exited like the others then went to bed.

My first class the next day was History of Magic. I leant against Sirius (who was asleep) and let my mind drift.

About half an hour later, Lily, (who actually paid attention to Professor Binns), poked me and hissed in my ear, "Lia, you're glowing again!"

"Oh no!" I purposely pushed my quill of the desk and dived down out of view. Lily followed suit.

"I don't think anyone noticed," she said, "just about the whole class is asleep."

"Good, quick, charm me again."

"All right. Achooinate."

Unfortunately, she over did it slightly and ten minutes later Professor Binns sent me to the nurse to stop my sneezing.

"This glowing is becoming a problem," said Rachel that night. "I mean, what if you were in the great hall, or at a quiditch match?" 

"I know, I know. But I don't exactly do it on purpose you know."

"Sirius, do you have any idea how your dad did it?"

Sirius shook his head, "nope. No idea."

I sighed, "wonderful."

"Maybe it happens when you let you thoughts wonder," said Lily, "I mean, when you did it the first time you were nearly asleep and who pays attention to professor Binns?"

"Other than you?" Asked James sweetly. Lily glared at him.

"You're probably right Lily," said Rachel, "but right now, we need to start on this potion."

"We can't do it here," said Remus, "we need a better hiding place. The caves to far away though."

"How about in the secret passage on the third floor," said James, "it's caved in, so it doesn't g anywhere. But it'd do for this."

We all nodded.

Ellie looked at her watch, 'we'd better go," she said, "classes tomorrow."

"Are you ever going to tell me?" Asked Sirius sitting down next to me the next day in the common room.

"Tell you what?"

"Your middle name!"

"Oh. Are you still on about that?"

Sirius nodded seriously. "Yes, I am."

I laughed and kissed him on the nose, "as much as I'd love to tell you, I've got to go."

"Go? Where?"

I pulled the note I'd received at breakfast from my pocket. It read:

Miss Strummings,

please meet me in my classroom at six thirty tonight.

-Professor McGonogall.

Sirius' brow wrinkled, "that's strange. Wonder what she wants."

I shrugged, "who knows. Bye." I stood up.

"Do you want me to come?" Asked Sirius, still looked at the note with a worried expression.

I rolled my eyes, "I'll be fine Sirius. You worry too much."

The classroom was empty when I got there. I'd half suspected it might be. Though on Professor McGonagalls desk there was a note:

Do you know where Celia is?

Chapter thrity seven

The potion Begings

Summery: Lia is becoming stressed and the gang start the potion.

=====================================================

"Is the plan working?"   
  
"Yes my lord. She is completely distracted from the dreams."  
  
"Have they ended yet?   
  
"We think so and she is training again. We have also discovered the weak link."  
  
"Excellent. Who is it?"  
  
"Black."  
  
  
Dear aunt Kath,  
  
How are you? How's Celia? I am well and I am doing very good in all of my classes. Sirius and Lily say hello.  
  
love Lia  
  
  
"She'll be ok," I said to the others in the common room. "I mean, if anything had happened to her, then Aunt Kath or someone would tell me.  
  
Lily read the note again and said slowly, "didn't Tahnee say she hadn't heard from Celia?"  
  
I shrugged, "that doesn't mean anything. There's hundreds of reasonable explanations."   


"I suppose you could be right," Remus scratched his head, "you'd better write to your aunt anyway. Just to be sure."  
  
"This is stupid!" Sirius jumped up and started pacing, "I mean, why are we letting them, whoever 'them' is, jerk us around like this? We're sitting ducks, they could take us anytime they wanted! We don't we do something?"  
  
"Like what?" Asked Rachel calmly, "like you said Sirius, we don't know is actually doing this, so how can we stop them?"  
  
"They haven't really done anything anyway," said Ellie, 'I mean, only a warning and a note. Which may or may not be legit."  
  
I sighed, "I'm going to write a note to Aunt Kath, then I'm going to bed. This is probably just going to fizzle like the 'warning'"  
  
James nodded, "You're most likely right. Yeah, we should all go to bed. I saw Filch stalking about before, we should go before he finds us. Besides, it'll all be clearer in the morning."  
  
"What we need," I heard Sirius say to James as they made their way out of the astronomy tower, "is a map..."  
  
  
"The next morning at breakfast I kept an eye out for Nona. Which was stupid really, as it would take her at least two days to get to Australia and another two to get back. I did get a short note from Rachel though:  
  
_meet me in passage tonight. bring ingredients._  
  
I showed the note to the others.  
  
"Ugh," said Jessie wrinkling her noise at her timetable, "we've got potions first.  
  
Hannah groaned, "but my essay's still an inch and a half short."  
  
Sirius looked alarmed, "we had an essay?  


I rolled my eyes, "duh Sirius. The one on invisibility potions, remember?"  
  
"Uh, no. Can I copy yours?"  
  
"Only if you tell me your middle name."  
  
James laughed, "yeah, c'mon Padfoot, what is your middle name?"  
  
Sirius thought for a moment then looked at his watch, "well, I've still got four minutes to write an essay, so I'll be off now."  
  
Remus threw a piece of toast at his retreating back.  
  
  
"Did you bring the ingredients."  
  
Remus nodded and handed them to Rachel, "did you bring everything else?"  
  
Rachel nodded, "yeah. C'mon, we better get started."  
  
"How long will this take?" Asked Lily, "and how long will it work for once Lia drinks it?"  
  
"The potion will take about a week to actually make," said Rachel, "but the effects are permanent."  
  
I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that.  
  
"Don't worry," Rachel assured me, "it's perfectly safe."  
  
"If you say so," I watched as Lily conjured up a green fire and as Remus and Sirius set up the cauldron above it.  
  
"What do we add first?" Asked Ellie, her eyes darted around the dimly lit passage.  
  
"The water and the lemon juice," said James, reading the parchment Rachel had given him.  
  
"Good grief," I muttered, "we're making herbal tea, not a potion."  
  
Sirius grinned reassuringly, "you'd just better hope it tastes like herbal tea."  
  
"Now we add blood from an enemy," said James.  
  
Ellie added the blood she'd managed to collect when Snape was bitten by a Hippogriff in her care of magical creatures class.  
  
"What next?" I asked, trying not think about the fact that I'd be drinking Snape's blood.  
  
"We leave it to boil until tomorrow," James said yawning, "good thing too, I'm dead tired."  
  
"How can you be?" Ellie asked him, "we've had far later nights then this."  
  
"Yeah, but Padfoot, moony, wormtail and me have been wo-" He was cut off when Sirius kicked him.  
  
"Uh yeah, right." James grinned, "never mind. Night all!" He, Sirius and James raced from the passage without a backwards glance.  
  
Lily, Ellie and Rachel wore bewildered looks, (and I'm sure I did too).   
  
"Doesn't matter what happens," said Lily, "those four still manage to keep scheming."  
  
  
The next day and still no reply from aunt Kath. Not that I expected one, but still... I wasn't interested in watching everyone watch Lily and James flirt with each other, so I left for class early.  
  
"You still worried about Celia?" Sirius asked softly, coming up behind me.  
  
"yeah, I am. I mean, we never really got along, but she was like my annoying sister you know?"  


Sirius nodded. "Did you know I used to have a sister?"  
  
"No," I turned to face Sirius, "what happened?"  
  
"She died when she was only two months old, but even so, it felt like losing someone I'd known all my life."  
  
I sighed, "you know what Sirius? Life sucks sometimes."  
  
  
The potion was still merrily bubbling away when we arrived at the passage that night. Rachel was exceedingly happy about this.  
  
"Any word from your aunt?" She asked me as James and Sirius added the werewolf hair and my hair.  
  
"No, but Nona probably only just reached Australia, it'll still be a few days."  
  
Rachel nodded then looked around. "Where's Remus and Ellie?  
  
James snorted, "probably making out in a closet somewhere."  
  
"You and Lils have a lot of experience in that area dontcha Prongs?" Sirius grinned as Lily and James both went red.  
  
"Why Sirius," said Lily, "are you implying that I, Lady Lily, have even stepped foot inside a closet?"  
  
Sirius laughed, "my mistake."  
  
"Can we get back to business here?" I asked them, poking the cauldron with my foot.  
  
"Yeah, business," Sirius struggled to keep a straight face, "back to business."

Chapter thirty eight

Learning to Lie

Summery: Sirius teaches Lia how to lie, (with some help from James) and a letter from Aunt Kath.

=====================================================

After adding the hair, there wasn't really much else we could do, so we all went to bed. When Lily and I reached our dorm we found Ellie waiting for us.  
  
"Where were you tonight?"  
  
Ellie grinned, "sorry 'bout that, but Remus and I got... Sidetracked."  
  
"In a closet I bet." I muttered, Lily giggled.  
  
"Not in a closet," Ellie said, pulling a face, "in the empty Transfiguration room..."  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow, "gee, kinky."  
  
I rolled my eyes and went to bed.  
  
  
The next day at breakfast, Nona brought aunt Kaths reply.   
  
"That was quick," I said, giving Nona the rest Sirius' toast.  
  
"Open it!" Hissed Lily softly, so Hannah and Jessie wouldn't hear.   
  
Dearest Lia,  


So nice to hear from you. I'm glad to hear your classes are going well, just as I knew they would be. Celia sends her regards.  
  
Love Aunt Kath.  
  
"See," I said, feeling immensely relieved, "Celia is fine."  
  
Sirius nodded, "they must have known that you'd soon find out that Celia was ok. They're not doing these things to drive you mad with worry, they're doing these things for another reason."  
  
But not one of us could think what the 'other reason' could be.  
  
  
"Miss Strummings, are you listening to me?"  
  
"Um, no." Professor Hopkins wasn't expecting that. Behind me Remus snickered.  
  
"Oh, and why not?"  
  
"I was thinking about other things."  
  
"Yes, Lia, I could see that, but what other things?"  
  
Well, you see sir, the dark forces are messing with my mind, I have an illegal potion bubbling away in a secret passage which I'm going to drink soon, I start glowing at inconvenient times and my boyfriend won't tell me his middle 

name.  
  
"Uh, just stuff."  
  
"I see. Try to think only about Ancient Runes in the future will you please?"  
  
"Sure thing sir."  
  
"Blue," I heard Remus whisper, "we have got to teach you how to lie."  
  
  
"Now, Blue," Sirius said grinning, "the first thing you need to know about lieing is, you never actually lie. Just, stretch the truth."  
  
"Or in your case," I said sweetly, "boomerang it to the moon."  
  
"What's a boomerang?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"Anyway, say you're sneaking around late at night to see your one hundred and one percent perfect boyfriend, i.e.. me, and you get caught by professor McGonagall, what do you say?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
James groaned and slapped his forehead, "this is going to take some work."  
  
Sirius sighed, "you'd say something along the lines of," he thought for a short moment, "sorry professor, I just wasn't feeling very well, so I was going to go see the nurse, but the walk made me feel much better, so I'm just heading back to the common room."  
  
"That's not stretching the truth Sirius, that's lying."  
  
He waved his hand, "doesn't matter. Anyway, I want you to lie to me."  
  
"You don't hear that in most relationships," said Lily.  
  
"Lie to you? What about?"  
  
He shrugged, "anything. Just lie."  
  
"Ok then." I sat in silence for a while, "Sirius Black is gods gift to the world."  
  
Remus snorted. Sirius shook his head, "I said lie, not tell the truth."  
  
James groaned again.  
  
"You see, lying itself isn't hard t all, it's just making up lies on the spur of the moment that gets most people stuck."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "should I be worried that you're such an expert on lying?"  
  
"I've never lied once," Sirius said grinning, "but still, you really do have to earn how to tell porky pies Lia. I don't think I've ever met anyone more hopeless at lying than you."  
  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
"So, imagine this. I've just walked into my dorm to find you and James, er, trading saliva shall we say,"  
  
"Hey!" Said James, Lily and I.  
  
"Now, I am about to murder James with my own bare hands, so you have to fast talk your way out if it. What do you say?"  
  
"I'd let James do the talking."  
  
"You can't because I've already rendered him unconscious."  
  
"Oh. Then I'd say, umm, that James was eating, uh, something... A chocolate frog! And he started to choke. So I, uh, had to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation."  
  
Sirius nodded, "that was almost believable. Except you have to cut out all the uh's and pauses. Say it with confidence!"  
  
"Well, if you'd just been caught snogging your boyfriends best mate, you wouldn't really have much confidence would you?"  
  
"How would you know? You haven't been snogging Prongs have you?"  
  
"Yeah, the weddings next week."  
  
"Hah!" Everyone looked at Sirius in surprise, "there! Lying is just like being sarcastic, except without the sarcasm. It's that simple."  
  
"Oh, ok." I thought about his. "But how do you now James and I aren't getting married next week?"  
  
"Yeah Padfoot," said James grinning, "for all you know, me and Blue could have two kids and a house."  
  
"You'd better not," said Lily. She then realized what she'd said and went rather red.  
  
"Why would you care Lils?" Asked Remus sweetly.  
  
Lily shrugged, 'I don't. I was saying it for Padfoots benefit."  
  
"Of course you were," I said winking as if I knew a big secret, "so that wasn't James' name you were mumbling in your sleep last night?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yep. Night everyone!"  
  
  
"Uh, add the unicorn tailhair."  
  
I dropped the silvery hair into the potion, it bubbled and changed colors from red to gold to blue and back to red.  
  
"This is going to taste horrible," I moaned, scowling at the potion.  
  
"You don't know that," said Lily, "it could taste like chicken for all you know."  
  
"And it could taste like boogers."  
  
James wrinkled his nose, "I'm glad you're the one who has to drink it."  
  
Remus added the ordeals snare to the now yellow potion and said, "there's nothing more we can do until tomorrow now, so let's go back."  
  
Sirius yawned, "good. I'm glad it's the weekend."  
  
"But after every weekend there's a Monday," said Ellie nodding wisely.  
  
"I like Mondays." Rachel grinned at our shocked expressions, "what do you expect? I'm a Ravenclaw after all."  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
tell Clar I have joined the Mafia and if she doesn't stop stealing the chocolate frogs from under Sarah-Janes pillow, I will send Big Tony to kill her.  
  
Luv Lia

Chapter thirty nine

The middle Names

Summery: We finally find out Sirius and Lia's middle names and the Potion is completed.

=====================================================

"We are entering the final days my lord."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
I had the strangest feeling in divination today. (Don't roll your eyes at me!) No, seriously, we were revising crystal ball gazing and I just got this feeling. Like a case of the willies, but more so. I was sure you were dead or in trouble. It took me a whole ten minutes to convince myself you were fine. So, please, write back and tell me you were in mortal danger so I can stop thinking I'm insane.  
  
Luv and Sunshine  
  
Tahnee  
  
  
"Lia, pass me the tristifico flower," said Rachel, holding out her hand.  
  
I gave it to her and she crushed it and added it to the potion nodding with satisfaction. "It'll be finished by tomorrow."  
  
James stopped gazing at Lily and looked at her in surprise, "already? Wow."  
  
I sighed, stood up and dusted off my robes. "I'm going for a walk. I think I'm allergic to icky potions I don't really want to drink."  
  
Sirius stood up instantly, "I'll come with you." He grabbed my hand and led me from the passage.  
  
  
We ended up by the lake, watching the giant squid scare the pants off a group of first years.  
  
"Are you ok?" Sirius asked after a moments silence.  
  
"Yeah, why do you ask?"  
  
He shrugged, "you've just seemed a bit down lately that's all."  
  
It was my turn to shrug, "I just feel, I don't know, sad. No, not sad. More like the feeling you get when you miss something."  
  
Sirius looked puzzled at this, then said. "I know what'll make you feel better."  
  
"What?"  
  
He grinned, "I'll tell you my middle names."  
  
"Names? As in plural?"  
  
"Yup. And just because I'm such a wonderful guy and because I happen to like you a whole heap, I'll tell you both of them. But you've got to tell me yours."  
  
"Ok, deal."  
  
He looked around, as if expected someone to be listening in, then said, "James."  
  
"Where's James?" I looked as well, expected to see my messy haired friend.  
  
"No, that's one of my middle names. James."  
  
"Oh," I started giggling, "does James know that?"  
  
Sirius wore a mock look of aggression, "no, and you'd better not tell him missy. He'd never shut up about it."  
  
"I won't. Sirius James Black. Has a nice ring to it. What's the other one?"  
  
"Buhthemlew," Sirius muttered to his hands.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
He sighed, "promise not to laugh?"  
  
I promised.  
  
"Bartholomew."  
  
I bit my lip and clutched my sides to stop from laughing, Sirius looked at me in a peeved way, "ok, go on then, laugh."  
  
And I did, It was a good five minutes before I managed to speak. "Sirius James Bartholomew Black. Actually, it doesn't sound that bad."  
  
Sirius wrinkled his nose, "to you maybe. Ok, let's hear your middle name then."  
  
"How do you know I even have a middle name?"  
  
"Tell me or I'll tickle you."  
  
I remembered the night Sirius had discovered my feet were incredibly ticklish. I didn't really want a repeat of the experience, so I told him.   
  
"It's Juliet."  
  
"Seriously, Juliet? As in, Romeo and Juliet?"  
  
"I think now that it was my mums last joke," I said, remembering what Lily had said when I told her about the dreams. "I mean, her and your dad had the perfect tragic romance didn't they?"  
  
"Yeah, they did. Hope we don't end up like that."  
  
I smiled again, "ah, but Sirius, we already have."  
  
  
The next day the event I was most certainly not looking forward to came to be. The potion was complete and ready for drinking.  
  
"This is going to taste awful," I moaned, looking down at the vial filled with the now aqua colored potion.  
  
"Just pinch your nose and scull it right down," said Sirius with a helpful grin.  
  
"This won't have any side effects on me will it?" I asked Rachel, still stalling the consumption of the vile drink.  
  
"Uh, your ears may fall off and your hair could turn green."  
  
"What!"  
  
"Kidding, Lia, I'm just kidding. Drink the damn potion! Geez, it's not like it's full of poison."  
  
I wrinkled my nose, "if I die, you can have my stuff Lily, but share it with Sirius ok."  
  
"Hey, thanks."  
  
I shut my eyes and downed the potion in one big gulp. It tasted strange. Not bad exactly, more like medicine. It doesn't taste all that bad, but you think it does, so you convince your brain that it tastes foul. I suddenly staggered and Sirius grabbed me so I didn't fall.  
  
"Ugh, why is the world spinning?" I asked, blinking several times.  
  
Rachel nodded, "that's good. That's meant to happen. It means the potion worked."  
  
"Oh good, I think. Sirius? Will you help me back to the common room, I don't think I'll be able to walk."  
  
  
Much later that night, when my surroundings had stopped moving, Hannah, Jessie, Ellie and I set to work on Lily.  
  
"Lily, you know you like him, " said Hannah.  
  
"And he obviously likes you," I added.  
  
Jessie and Ellie nodded knowingly.  
  
Lily shrugged, "how can you be so sure? I don't know, do you think I should?"  
  
We all nodded eagerly.  
  
Lily bit her lip, "I want to. But I don't know how. I have zero experience with stuff like this."  
  
"We'll do it!" Cried Hannah.  
  
Lily shook her head, "no, that's tacky. I'll do it."  
  
"Now?" I asked her, looked pointedly at the door.  
  
"In a minute, I have to prepare myself first."  
  
I shrugged, supposedly uncaring, "whatever, I'm going to see Sirius."  
  
"Don't you meantion anything to James!" Lily yelled as I left the room.  
  
I turned around and smiled, "me? Do something like that? Never!"  
  
  
I flopped onto ton Sirius' bed. "Hi, James, hi Remus, hi Peter, where's Sirius?"  
  
James, Peter and Remus said hello and James pointed to the bathroom.  
  
Peter looked at me curiously, "how much do you like Sirius?"  
  
James rolled his eyes, "what kind of stupid question is that? They've been going out for ages, she must like him a fair bit."  
  
I nodded, "yup. What James said."  
  
Peter nodded and seemed to make a mental note. I was about to ask him why he cared when the bathroom door swung open and Sirius stepped out wearing nothing but scooby doo boxer shorts, saw me, and stepped back in again.  
  
I burst out laughing, "scooby doo? Honestly Sirius, scooby doo?"  
  
"Don't knock scooby!" Came his reply, "and go away! I need to get some clothes."  
  
"You don't need clothes, I've already seen you naked."  
  
"I was three! And it was a photo! Which, James, you still haven't told me how you got hold of!"  
  
James was saved by Lily, who chose that moment to walk in, looking rather ill. "Can I speak to you for a minute James?"  
  
"Yes! Do you hear that Padfoot, I gotta go speak to Lily! See you!" James ran out the door pulling Lily with him.  
  
"Moony? Wormtail?" Sirius called, sounding rather self pitying, "could you bring me some clothes?"  
  
"Oh, Padfoot you big baby," I shouted to him, "come get 'em yourself."  
  
"Fine, but no scooby doo jokes!"  
  
"Yes sir, Bart sir!"  
  
"Bart?" Asked Remus and Peter together.  
  
Sirius darted out of the bathroom looking rather red, I smirked at him, (of course, I didn't notice how good his chest looked...)  
  
"Bart?" Asked Remus again.  
  
Sirius pulled on some robes and glared at me, "one word..."   
  
I just laughed.

Chapter forty

Calm before the Dream

Summery: Lia discoverd that Sirius is infact a male and Peter is, well, Peter.

=====================================================

"Is she of full power?"

  
"Not yet my lord, but we have run out of time. We must proceed now, or never."  
  
"Make it now."  
  
  
Dear Lia,  
  
do you like this leaf? I was sitting in our old tree. Do you remember when we were little, we used to sit under it and play barbies? Or when I got my first kiss, you were so surprised you fell out of it and broke your arm? I think I may be turning into a sentimental old fool. Who knows, maybe I've always been one, and I've only just found out...  
  
Luv and sunshine  
Tahnee  
  
  
"You look like a Christmas tree."  
  
I poked my tongue out at James, but, as I was grinning, he didn't take me too seriously.  
  
"It's good that you've figured out how to control it," Rachel said, "at least now you won't start glowing in the great hall."  
  
"Stop flashing!" Lily shielding her eyes, "I feel as though I surrounded by cameras.  
  
I had figured out how to control my glowing and was showing this by , well, flashing like a Christmas tree.  
  
"When did you figure this out anyway?" Sirius asked, nodding in time to my flashing.  
  
I shrugged, "I didn't sleep much last night, so I laid there working this out."  
  
Truth was, I hadn't slept at all the night before. Rachel was becoming more and more certain I was about to be having a future dream and I was not looking forward to it. Sirius knew this, but didn't say anything.  
  
"That reminds me," Rachel peered at me closely, "you haven't bee having any side effects have you? From the potion?"  
  
"What?" I stopped flashing, "you said there weren't any!"  
  
"There aren't. At least, I don't think there are."  
  
"If my toes turn green, I'm blaming you."  
  
"Green?" Remus got a dreamy look on his face, "green olives. Mmmm."  
  
"You're weird," I told him, "everyone knows olives make your hair go curly."  
  
"No, I think that's crusts."  
  
I looked at Lily, "is it? I always thought it was olives."  
  
"And you're calling me weird? Hey! Put me down!"  
  
I lowered Remus back to the ground and we went to breakfast.  
  
  
It's hard to concentrate in Charms when you have an annoying muggle song stuck in your head going around and around.  
  
"The sweetening charm is a simple one, all you have to do is rase you wand like so and..."  
_  
How much is that doggy in the window?_  
  
Be careful to keep the tip of your wand well away from the object..."  
  
_The one with the waggley tail?_  
  
I wondered if madam Pomfrey had anything to get the song out of my head, because all hitting my ears did was attract strange looks.  
  
"Sir?" I raised my hand and, startled, Professor Flitwick dropped his wand.  
  
"Yes miss Smiggs?"  
  
Smiggs? "Can I please go see the nurse?"  
  
"Oh, yes, I suppose so."  
  
Sirius gave me a pleading, 'take me with you' look. I smirked at him and gladly left the classroom behind.  
  
  
The corridors were empty and rather errie. So I half walked half ran down them singing softly. "How much is that doggy in the window?"   
  
"Oh, about three galleons I'd say."  
  
I jumped slightly and looked around, "oh, hi Peter."  
  
He gave a slight wave, "that's muggle song isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know, I thought you were pure blood?"  
  
"No, only half blood."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Peter cocked his head and me and smiled softly, "I used to love that song."  
  
"Used to? Why'd you stop?"  
  
He shrugged, "people change, you know Lia? At least, they try, but it's hard sometimes. You know?"  
  
"Uh, right, listen Peter, I gotta go to the nurse all right? See you."  
  
I turned and almost ran down the hall without waiting for Peter's reply.  
  
  
"It was really weird you know? Like, I don't know, like he was trying to tell me something."  
  
"Uh huh." Sirius appeared to be listening, in truth he was trying to look down my robes.  
  
"Sirius!" I hit him not so lightly, "were you listening to a word I said?"  
  
'Of course. You were telling me something about Peter."  
  
"What about Peter?"  
  
"That he, uh, used to like dogs?"  
  
I sighed angrily at him and went to find Lily.  
  
  
"What's up with you?" She asked when I flopped down on her bed.  
  
"Sirius is such a male!"  
  
Lily raised an amused eyebrow, "really? Who would've guessed? Do you think James'd like this or these more?"   
  
She held pale blue and emerald dress robes in front of her.  
  
I shrugged, "he's male too, I'm sure he'd rather you go naked."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes, "pale blue it is then. C'mon, tell aunt Lily what Sirius did."  
  
I shrugged, "nothing too big. Lily, what do you think of Peter?"  
  
"Why? Don't tell me you like him!"  
  
I shuddered slightly, "no! It's just, well, do you think he's weird?"  
  
"I don't really know him all that well. He's always so quite. James trusts him though, so he can't be too bad."  
  
"James trusts everyone except Snape. Anyway, don't worry about me, go have your date with James and make sure you enjoy yourself."  
  
"I will, don't wait up for me."  
  
She went to meet James in the common room and I soon fell asleep.  
  
  
The astronomy tower looked like a bomb had hit it. Bits of everything melted everywhere and all sorts of things in places they shouldn't be because Remus and Rachel couldn't be bothered fixing them once I let them drop.  
  
"You do realize that somebody's going to notice this place is slightly messier than usual," Lily said, looking around.  
  
I winced as a telescope didn't quite make it to the floor. "They'd never blame us, we're far to innocent."  
  
I heard Sirius snort from the general direction of a box of upturned star charts.  
  
"Shut up Bart!"  
  
"Make me Shakespeare!"  
  
"Scooby!"  
  
"Romeo!"  
  
"James!"  
  
"Huh?" James looked very confused, "huh?"  
  
Sirius untangled himself from the star charts and grinned. "Don't worry Jamsie boy, Blue here is just insane."  
  
I tossed me hair in a snobbish way, "yes, well, even the insane need beauty sleep."   
  
"You don't need it," Sirius winked, "you're all ready beautiful."  
  
"Flattery gets you no where Black. Good night everyone."  
  
  
It was a few hours before I finally drifted into slumber land. And when I did I started to dream...

Chapter forty one

Dream of the End

Summery: Lia has her dream and says good-bye.

=====================================================

Flash!  
  
_Somebody, a girl, running. Crying, sobbing, gasping to get enough air. The same words over and over; I'm sorry Lia, I'm so sorry._  
  
Flash!  
  
_A boy, a young man really. He looked familiar... Was it? Yes, it was Sirius. He was chained to something... A wall? He was bleeding from a cut above his eye and he looked scared? No, more angry and something else. Was he worried? His eyes were focused at something I couldn't see, something I wasn't sure I wanted to see.  
_  
Flash!  
  
_A dorm... My dorm. The beds are all full with sleeping girls except for one... My bed, it's empty, cold. As though no one has ever slept in it.  
  
_  
It's been about five hours since I has the dream. I've spent that five hours here, at Lily's desk, (as Sirius broke mine), writing everything down. No, not everything, for that would take months if not years. But everything that has happened since that day on the Hogwarts express, which, I suppose is everything you need to know.  
  
I'm not sure what's going to happen now. Something big, I can feel it. It would be pointless for me to hope to live. For I know that I will die. All I hope for is that Sirius will be ok. For as long as there is Sirius there is me.  
  
So this is it. I'm not sure how to finish this. 'The end' doesn't seem appropriate, but no does 'to be continued. Perhaps I'll leave you to make your own ending, but just make it a happy one, ok?  
  
  
Dear Tahnee,  
  
this is most probably the last letter I'm ever going to write to you. You remember when we were kids and we promised each other that whoever died first, would make sure they'd say good-bye to the other before they went, no matter what? Well, this is it. I'm saying good-bye. Because I am going to die, I don't know when exactly, but soon. I hope you get a better go at life then me Tahnee dear.  
  
love forever  
  
Lia.

Chapter forty two

The first Spy

Summery: We find out who one of the spies is and some other stuff happens. 

=====================================================

8Lia Strummings dropped her pen and sighed somewhat sadly. She knew her death wasn't as certain as she had made it out to be, but what else could the be the cause of the growing dread in her stomach?  
  
She was far too tired to think too much about any of these things, so she put her head in her hands and fell asleep.  
  
  
Lily Evans was quite concerned when she awoke to see her best friend asleep at her desk.  
  
"Lia, wake up!"  
  
One bleary eye opened, then another.  
  
"Oh, Lily, hey. What's the time?"  
  
"It's still early, but why are you asleep at my desk?"  
  
"Sirius broke mine."  
  
"Uh right," Lily, like she normally did, gave up trying to get sane answers.  
  
Lily stood slowly and peered around at her roommates.  
  
"Where's Ellie?"  
  
"Gone to meet up with the Hufflepuff seeker."  
  
"Right."  
  
Lia was defiantly worried about something. Lily knew that if she asked what was wrong she wouldn't get and answer but asked anyway.  
  
Lia shrugged, "nothings wrong, I'm going to see Sirius, ok?"  
  
"Yeah, ok."  
  
  
Lia had to struggle to stop herself from running all the way to Sirius' dorm.   
  
She knew, rationally, that Sirius would be fine, but all rationality's aside, Sirius was in trouble.  
  
"Where's Sirius?" She asked, bursting into the room.   
  
James mumbled something into his pillow.  
  
"What? James! Where is he!" She kicked him for good measure.  
  
James sat up, "Peter had something to show him, they left about an hour ago. Nothing to worry about."  
  
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.  
  
"Do you know where they went?"  
  
"Uh, not really."  
  
She turned to Remus, "do you?"  
  
He shook his head, "Blue, what's going on?"  
  
Lia shook her head in frustration, "I don't know! I think Sirius is in trouble somehow. Are you sure you don't know where he went?"  
  
James crunched up his face, "Sirius said something, umm, Apa Wadi? Apma Wali?"  
  
"Aipama Wadli?"  
  
"Yeah, no idea what that means. Are you sure he's in trouble."  
  
James received no answer, for Lia was already out the door and finally going somewhere. The cave.  
  
  
Remus pulled his cloak tighter around himself and turned to his two friends, "are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, do any of you know what Aipama Wadli means?"  
  
Lily thought for a moment, "I think I remember Clar saying something like that in Australia. It's got something to do with caves."  
  
"Caves," James blinked against the strong winds, "our cave?"  
  
Remus shrugged, "it's worth a try, but if Lia's not there, I'm going back to bed."  
  
  
Lia didn't bother to wipe the rain from her eyes, she was sitting on the same rock she and Sirius had sat on all that time ago and staring up at the same cave.  
  
Sirius was up there. She couldn't hear him or see him, but she knew he was up there.  
  
"Lia!"  
  
Lia jumped and turned around to see Lily, James and Remus seemingly appear out of thin air. In truth, she hadn't seen them because of the heavy rain.  
  
"What are you guys doing here!?"  
  
James shrugged and grinned, his teeth almost glowing in the dark, "come off it Blue, if Sirius is in trouble, we're helping him out too. Besides, I thought we agreed we're in this together."  
  
"I suppose. Just be careful, ok? Where's Ellie and Rachel?"  
  
"Ellie's with the Hufflepuff, remember? And we couldn't find Rachel in time."  
  
"Ok, did you bring your wands? I forgot mine."  
  
Silence. "Uh, we didn't think we'd need them..." said James rather sheepishly.  
  
"Great." Lia shifted nervously, "I'm not sure Sirius is in trouble you know."  
  
"But you think he is?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then let's go."  
  
  
The climb up to the cave was a difficult one. The rain made the normally easy to climb rocks wet and slippery. Impossible to climb on.  
  
In the end, Lia fought her way up and lifted her friends one by one to join her.  
  
"This is riduculuas," said Lily, trying to shake the rain from her hair, "are you sure he's in there Blue?"  
  
Lia nodded, "he's not alone either." She remembered her dream. "He's bleeding and he's chained to something, I don't know what."  
  
"How do you know that?" Remus asked, peering into the looming darkness of the cave.  
  
"I had the dream. The future one, like Rachel said I would."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'll tell you what happened later," Lia said, silently wondering if there would be a later.  
  
  
Inside the cave the dark was everything. You couldn't see your own hands let alone the people around you.  
  
"You know," James' voice came from somewhere to Lia's left, "there could be a great big hole in the ground and we'd just walk right into it."  
  
"That's a lovely thought," said Lily and she, as did everyone else, stopped moving.  
  
"Oh, I know," Lia concentrated for a moment then started to glow.  
  
The light she gave off cast a dim glow of the cave walls. There was no hole in their path, but Remus had been just about to walk into a large rock.  
  
"This just gets better and better," muttered Lia, trying not to think about what lay ahead.  
  
James shrugged and started to walk again, "we have our human torch so we're all set. Let's go."  
  
  
"Footsteps."  
  
At Remus' words the small group froze and listened. Sure enough, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached their ears.   
  
"Hide!" Hissed James, but no body could see the point in this as there was no where to hide.  
  
"They're crying," whispered Lily, "listen, whoever is coming is crying."  
  
They were not left much time to ponder this because all at once, the owner of the sobs and footsteps came into view.  
  
Lily rushed forward, "Ellie!"  
  
At the sight of her friend Ellie collapsed into gasping for breath, still sobbing. And the same words, over and over; "I'm sorry, oh god Lia, I'm so sorry."  
  
"Sorry? Ellie, I don't understand, what's wrong?"  
  
"I told him everything Lia! Everything! Not just me, he did as well, but oh Lia, I didn't want to! But he made me, he threatened me, I was scared! And Sirius! He has Sirius!"  
  
"Ellie, who made you? Tell me Ellie! Was it you-know-who? Damn it Ellie, what have you done!"  
  
"I didn't tell him everything Lia, I didn't betray you completely, the potion... He doesn't know... Oh god he's coming, he'll find me, oh god..."  
  
Lia moaned, "oh Ellie, what have you done?"  
  
But her friend was to weak to answer, she was slowly but surely slipping into unconsciousness, though she was still weeping and muttering, "sorry, sorry."  
  
Lia but her lip, "stay with her Lily, we'll go on."  
  
Lily shook her head, "Lia, if this is he-who-must not be named we're talking about... Look what he did to Ellie!"  
  
James swore, "this is too deep, we have to get someone, we have to get help..."  
  
"Look, you three take Ellie back and get help, I'm, I'm going to keep going."  
  
Lily grabbed her friends hand, "no Lia! Don't be an idiot! You're in over your head, think about what Ellie must have told him Lia! He knows everything you can do!"  
  
Lia shook her head, "just make sure you get help all right? Tell Dumbledor and make sure you get Ellie to madam pomfrey."  
  
"Lia!"  
  
Remus may well have saved his breath, for Lia had already gone.

Chapter forty three

Forgotten

Summery: People die people forget and the return of... Well, you'll see.

======================================================

Without her friends with her, Lia seemed to think all the dark shadows were supporters of the dark lord, just waiting to jump out and kill her.  
  
She wished, for the millionth time, that she had gone with them to get help. But she knew, somehow, that this was something she needed to do alone.  
  
Strangely enough, the cave seemed to grow lighter as she moved deeper into it's depths. Or perhaps her eyes were growing accustomed to the light. Either way, she was able to stop glowing and still see clearly.  
  
She froze suddenly straining her ears. She could hear the vague pounding of rain and the rustling of the cave dwellers rushing back and forth, but there was something else as well.  
  
A swish, like feathers, and the clip clap of taloned feet. Strangely familiar...  
  
"I told you we should meet again, didn't I strange one?"  
  
Lia peered into the darkness but, like their last meeting, the Griffin remained hidden from sight.  
  
"No Unicorns to protect you this time, nobody to protect you at all."  
  
"Why are you here? You live in the forbidden forest." She was stalling, the Griffin most probably knee this, but it answered her anyway.  
  
"Just because I am often found in a place does not mean a must stay there strange one. And when given the offer to catch the one I lost, who could refuse?"  
  
"You're going to eat me?"  
  
"The one of the lieing raven called upon me, I would have eaten her, but she told me where to find you."  
  
The lieing raven... "What, you mean... Not Rachel?"  
  
Lia could finally see him. He circled her like a shark would a school of fish. "Names do not matter strange one, nothing matters."  
  
"But, Rachel... She told you to eat me?"  
  
"She is of the raven, what did you expect?"  
  
Lia felt sick. She was going to die because her friend betrayed her. She was going to die before she could save Sirius.   
  
She tried to ignore the clip clap of the Griffins talons and focused on one of the many large boulders.  
  
It wobbled a bit then slowly began to rise.  
  
Lia hoped the Griffin would think the sweat on her forehead was due to fear, not the strain of keeping the bolder in the air.  
  
It moved, slowly but surely, until it was above the now stationary Griffin. With a sigh of relief Lia let it drop.  
  
The Griffin, unfortunately, somehow heard it coming and attempted to moved. He wasn't quite fast enough though and the bolder succeeded in crushing his leg.  
  
He howled in pain and Lia had to dive out of the way of it's claws.   
  
"I will make you pay, strange one!"  
  
"My name isn't strange one!" Lia yelled, half climbing the wall as the Griffin lunged at her.   
  
The crushed leg prevented the Griffin from actually catching Lia, but she was tiring and dodging the large creature was proving more and more difficult.  
  
Finally, it seemed he had her. The Griffin pinned Lia under one of his large talons.  
  
"You put up a good fight strange one, but I am the Griffin, bravest of the brave."  
  
"For the last time you overgrown turd, my name isn't strange one it's Lia!" And she kicked the Griffin in a place no male, human or otherwise, likes to be kicked.  
  
Lia scrambled to her feet quickly and once again lifted the bolder. Though this time when she dropped it, the Griffin didn't move.  
  
  
Once she was out of the Griffins sight Lia collapsed worn and shaking to the ground. She wanted to cry, but found she couldn't. She didn't want to believe that Rachel had betrayed her. Two of her closest friends had deceived her and she hadn't seen it coming.  
  
The more she thought about it the more it hurt, so in an effort to step, Lia forced herself to stand and keep moving, the thought of Sirius driving her onwards.  
  
With every step she took Lia felt a growing sense of urgency, and soon she was sprinting ahead, the sound of her footsteps in rhythm with the sound of her heart.  
  
  
"Sirius!"  
  
He was chained as her had been in her dream to the cave wall. The gash above his eye was there and his eyes were closed..  
  
"Sirius!" Lia knelt down in front of him, "can you hear me."  
  
"Lia?" Sirius raised his head groggily, "what the hell are you doing here? Go, run!"  
  
Lia ignored him, "what happened?"  
  
"Peter," he spat out the name as though it was poison, "told me he wanted to show me something. The little bastard hit me from behind and I woke up here. You have to go Lia, don't you get it? I'm the bait, he'll use me against you!"  
  
"Ellie and Rachel," Lia said sadly, "betrayed us as well. I don't think Ellie wanted to, but Rachel set a trap for me."  
  
"Lia, go, please," Sirius looked desperate, "he'll kill you Blue. And if you die, I'll die as well."  
  
"If I go," Lia said, "he'll kill you and god knows who else to get to me. This has to happen now, there's no running away."  
  
Sirius nodded, wincing slightly. "I'm only fifteen Lia, I have no idea what's what, and I guess most people would think I'd have to older and know more and I have experienced more to be able to say this. But I love you Blue and I don't want you to die."  
  
Without saying a word Lia bit her own hand, causing blood to flow, she raised to the cut above Sirius' eye and let the blood mix.   
  
"Now you'll be protected, whatever happens."  
  
Sirius looked as though he was about to say something, but shut his mouth and glared at something Lia couldn't see.  
  
She turned slowly and saw Peter smirking at her. "So you came," he said, sounding much unlike his usual self, "master said you would."   
  
"Master said I would? Does this master have name? Or a body perhaps?"  
  
"He is coming," Peter said nodding, "he will be here soon."   
  
"What if I kill you before then you little rat?"  
  
Peter seemed surprised at Lia's reference to his animagus form but quickly recovered and grinned, "you won't do that Lia, you're far to nice."  
  
He was right of course.  
  
Peter grinned again as he heard footsteps approaching, though it seemed slightly forced, "master approaches Lia, can you hear him?"  
  
'Why doesn't he just apparate?" Lia asked, trying not to think at all.  
  
"Too close to Hogwarts," Peter said absently waving a hand, "none of your concern anyhow."  
  
Further 'pleasant' conversation was prevented by the arrival of Peter's "master."  
  
He bore no resemblance to the Voldemort of today. He still looked like the school boy Tom Riddle and under different circumstances could have mistaken for an ex boy scout.  
  
"Hello Lia," his voice was soft but deadly. "We finally meet."  
  
Lia said nothing; she couldn't, so he continued to speak. "For fifteen years I have been searching for you Lia. Your mother made it difficult, but then, she always did find ways of surprising me. Who would have thought she'd send you to a sister she could not remember? It wasn't until you reached Hogwarts that I found you."  
  
Lia balled her shaking hands into fists, trying to force the fear out of her.  
  
"But you're here now Lia and I have a favor to ask of you." The dark lords grin transformed his face in such a way that nobody would ever mistake him for anything less sinister than an evil madman.  
  
"You see Lia, I am still only young and already my name envokes fear in the hearts of all who oppose me. But I want more, I want immortally. This, of course, is virtually impossible unless you happen to have a Sabi on hand."  
  
"What makes you think I'd ever die for you?" Lia tried to sound brave and strong, but feared she failed miserably.  
  
"I admit, sweet Lia, that I thought the very same thought, many times. Why, I needed a weak link! Peter here proved useful at first, but I needed more. You did not realize what you were and I needed you to be aware of your powers. I had Peter attack the Unicorn that you predictably saved and you soon knew the truth. But it seemed Lia, that you didn't trust Peter enough to tell him what you were. How was I to know the right time to stroke? How was I to find the weak link? Young Ellie wasn't hard to persuade, all I had to do was threaten her family and she was putty in my hands."  
  
Voldemort stopped to sneer at Sirius, "I should've known Black would be the weak link I was searching for. He's far too much like his father for my taste."  
  
"He was a better man than you'll ever be!" Spat Sirius, he was silenced by Peters chubby fist.  
  
Lia glared at the dark lord with little effect. She wanted to kill him, the thought surprised her, but did not change.  
  
"And still your mother continued to surprise me. The Menoris and Futuris charms were very bothersome. And Sloan! I should've killed her the second I heard her name!"  
  
He grinned at the look on Lia's face. "I quite like your friend Rachel. She's is smart, ruthless and did prove a tad helpful. She trained you well but almost ruined everything. Had the Griffin she left for you succeeded in killing you then how would I ever become immortal? "  
  
Lia turned as more figures entered the chamber. A hooded man was dragged a young girl. Rachel.  
  
"Yes, she almost foiled my plans. Would you like me to kill her Lia? After all, she did try to kill you."  
  
Rachel ignored the dark lord and turned to Lia and said in a strangely flat voice, "the Sloans Lia, in your dreams... They are my parents. They brought me up and tought me how to train Sabi's... How to train you... I couldn't let you-know-who get you Lia... Please, try to understand..."  
  
"Enough chit chat," Voldemort turned to Lia, "would you like me to kill her?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, well, I'm afraid that's just to bad."  
  
The hooded man tossed Rachel onto the dirt, only now did she show any signs of fear.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
"No!" Lia tried to move to her friends side but found she could not. It was as though her feet were glued to the ground. Voldemorts doing, no doubt.  
  
"Yes, well, like I said. That should've been done long before." Voldemort grinned again, "so Lia, back to business. I want to become immortal and it is you will make this so."  
  
"Go to hell."  
  
He grinned again with the same effect, "I've been there Lia, it's highly overrated. But perhaps my loyal servant here will be able to change you mind."  
  
The hooded man moved toward Sirius drawing a long dagger from his robes.   
  
Peter gasped, "you said you wouldn't kill him!"  
  
"Do not worry wormtail, I won't. Unless Lia wants me to?"  
  
Sirius caught Lia's eye, "let him kill me Lia! Don't give in!"  
  
The hooded man held the dagger to Sirius' neck, as he did so the hood fell back reviling not a man, but a tall sinister looking woman with black hair and icy blue eyes. She grinned cruelly at Lia and pressed the dagger deeper until a thin line of blood appeared.  
  
"I can kill him slowly," the-dark-lord said in a conversational tone, "and I will, unless you agree to make me immortal."  
  
Lia bit her lip, not at all sure of what to do. Let Sirius die, or forever be known as the idiot girl who made the most evil wizard on Earth immortal.  
  
"I'll make a deal with you Lia," Voldemort knelt down beside the woman and looked at Sirius. Peter stayed where he was, white and trembling. "If you agree to make me immortal, which you will, or I will kill this strapping young man here, nobody will ever know."  
  
"And how to you figure that?" Lia snapped, she avoided looking at Sirius, for she knew his eyes would beg her to let him die.  
  
"As I said before Lia, I am a powerful wizard. I can make it so nobody knows you even existed. Why even wormtail and Lilita here will not remember you. Everybody, your friends, family, will not recall ever knowing a Lia Strummings."  
  
"Lia! Don't do it! Don't be an idiot! Don't do it, don-" Sirius was cut off as Lilita pressed the dagger even further, causing him to gag.  
  
Lia couldn't make Voldemort immortal. He'd kill hundreds, thousands of muggles and wizards and he'd never be stopped. Unless... Did he know of the potion? She vaguely remembered Ellie saying she hadn't told him about it, so how could he know?  
  
Lia sighed, "fine, fine. I'll do it."  
  
"Lia! No! Are you insane? Don't do it!"  
  
The dark lord ignored Sirius and pulled another dagger out of his robes, he gave it to Peter who gave to Lia.  
  
"Will you die for me Lia?" He grinned as he said it.  
  
"Yes."  
  
The last thing she remembered were Sirius' shouts and hoping that Rachel hadn't screwed up the potion.   
  
  
Sirius Black awoke in his bed with the strangest feeling. Like he was forgetting something important. But he couldn't for the life of him think of what it could be, so he blocked out Peters snores and went back to sleep.  
  
  
And as a young man was falling asleep, hundreds of miles away a baby was born. The last of her kind. The last Sabi...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors note: Lia's not really dead... Though nobody remembers her... I know there are lots of unanswered questions and they will be answered in the epilogue. And I know I said we know the person talking to Voldemort, and we will. In the sequel. (Yes! There will be a sequel!) One more thing, the baby at the end was not Lia but it was a Sabi. Do you remember Rachel I think it was) saying ages ago that Sabi's are sometimes (though rarely) born even if both their parents are muggles? And Rachel was not a spy. What she was will become clear in Next Time Around (which I haven't forgotten about and will also answer more questions) and the only reason she tried to kill Lia at the end was because she knew Lia would make Voldemort immortal. She was just being smart but ruthless. One more thing, if Voldemort seemed a litte out of character it's because he's still rather knew at being evil and such and, well, people change don't they?  
  
  



	5. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that J.K.Rowling owns.  
  
  
The last Sabi  
Epilogue  
  
  
================================================================  
  
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road,  
  
time grabs you buy the wrist, directs you where to go,  
  
so make best of this test and don't ask why,  
  
it's not a question but a lesson learned in time,  
  
it's something unpredictable but in the end is right,   
  
I hope you had the time of your life.  
  
  
Good Riddance (time of your life)  
-Green Day  
  
  
  
  
I am sitting on a jetty looking out on an almost too perfect ocean. I don't know where I am or even if the water lapping at my ankles is real and I don't know the name of the woman sitting next to me. But I know I want answers and I know the woman will be able to provide them.  
  
"Did I do the right thing?" I ask, smiling as a school of fish tickle my feet.  
  
The woman shrugs, "everything is as it should be." (sorry lone astronomer, that's your line :) )  
  
"But did I do the right thing?"  
  
"It is hard to tell what is right or wrong Lia. I will show you what happens and you can judge that for yourself."  
  
I nod and the woman begins to speak.  
  
"The potion you made worked. The dark lord Voldemort is not immortal, but he is stronger than the average human and almost impossible to kill. The side effects of your spell left him mutilated and warped beyond recognition."  
  
I fell grim satisfaction at that. Perhaps drinking Snapes blood was worth it.  
  
Lily and James will go on to marry after they graduate. They will have a son, Harry."  
  
I grin inwardly as I imagine what the child will look like. Would his hair be red, or black like James?  
  
"Voldemort will target Lily and James as possible threats and he will kill them. But because of you Harry will survive."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Sirius will pass on the protection you left him, he will not know why he does it, but he will do it all the same. Voldemort will be unable to kill Harry because of this, indeed, the spell will backfire and he will be left a mere shadow of his former self for eleven years."  
  
"But he will kill Lily and James?"  
  
"That is how it must be. They will die because Peter will go on to betray them and Sirius will be blamed because Peter will frame him. Sirius will go to Azkaban for twelve years before he escapes."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Harry will live with his mothers sister and husband. His upbringing will be an unhappy one, but in the long run he will be better off for it. He will reunite with Sirius and Remus the future after this is uncertain."  
  
"What do you mean, uncertain?"  
  
"You will soon find out Lia, but you must be patient."  
  
I'm not sure which I fell more, sadness or guilt. Because of me Lily and James would die and Sirius would spend twelve years in hell.  
  
"But because of you," says the woman, seemingly reading my thoughts, "Voldemort will be defeated and because of you Harry will go on to achieve great things like no wizard before him. Your friends suffering will be for a reason Lia, it is not without cause."  
  
I still have more questions, indeed, my questions seem never ending. But I have learned all I need for one day and the rest could wait.   
  
  
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right  
  
I hope you had the time of your life.  
  
  
  
  
Authors note: Does that clear everything up? What I have left out, will be answered in Next time around or the sequel which is yet to be named.  
  
  
  
Ok, as this is the end of my first series I feel the need to thank some people:  
  
Cassie Lee, lone astronomer, topical fishy, Lily Evans, Mezza, Maverick, Danika, Amethyst (my cat's going fine :) ), Mezza, Allegria Winselvern, Jen, Jenn, Ana:), Jodie, Dreamin Angel, Staraxie, me, Jena Gea, Rowena Alana, Katie Potter, Kayara J.K.F.S.D.C Potter and heaps heaps more.  
  
Thank you all for reviewing my fics and thank you most of all Kewl because I think you've reviewed every single part. *cheers for Kewl*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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